The Return of Team Rocket
by CDrayan
Summary: COMPLETED! Kamon is a target for the newly reformed Team Rocket. But how is he linked to Team Rocket's search for their defeated leader? He realizes soon enough... Reviews wanted, please. Credit for Beta Reading goes to Rei do Mundo!
1. Prologue

(C) 2006 Eric Oakford.

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Pokémon (C) 2006 Nintendo/Creatures/Game Freak. This story is a fanfic made by a fan for fans. Any resemblance to video game characters was intentional. Any resemblance to anime characters however, isn't intentional. No infringement is intended.

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_In this world live creatures called Pokémon. Humans and Pokémon have lived, worked, and played together in harmony for ages. Nevertheless, there are still numerous mysteries surrounding them. In order to find out more about these creatures, many scientists have dedicated their lives to Pokémon research._ -Pokémon Video Game Instruction Manuals

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Welcome to the Pokémon World. The year is 2206. One part of the world is inhabited by creatures called Pokémon. What are Pokémon? Pokémon are wondrous creatures shrouded in mystery. They're around the world... in tall grass, caves, mountains, towns, lakes, and the ocean. For some people, they're pets. Others use them for battles. And yet some others study them as a profession.

---

It has been a year since Karl Caliduct, better known as "Red", along with his sister Hadley ("Green") and rival Kevin ("Blue") to travel through the once-unstable Kanto and disband Team Rocket. Now Kanto is once again recovering from the "natural" disasters.

---

Now, we're going to Johto, one year later. Relatives of Red and Green live there. And they're going to continue the quest. Stay tuned, for the beginning of a new story in the series.

_New Bark Town: Where the winds of a new beginning blow!_

---

New Bark Town doesn't have much. What is there of interest is Professor Elm's lab. Elm is the Pokémon Professor of Johto.

---

Professor Elm had just gotten a letter for a Pokémon conference with Professor Oak, Kanto's Pokémon Professor. The thing is, Elm needs someone to raise a rare Pokémon he had just caught. And it has to be exclusively from Johto. There were Cyndaquil, Totodile, and Chikorita. Suddenly, a plan emerged. "I know what to do... go to Duncan's birthday party today!"

---

A few hours later...

---

"Happy birthday, Duncan!" Duncan Caliduct came into the house after school. He had just turned 14. There was Crystal, his parents, and the Elm family.

"Here you go, my little boy," his mom said. She handed him a wrapped gift.

Duncan unfurled the present – it was a PokéGear. "Pokémon Gear, or for short, PokéGear. Essential if you want to be a great trainer," his dad said. "It tells you the time, and it even does that in voice!"

"Really?"

He pushed a button, and a voice from the PokéGear said, "It is now 2:30 PM. It is Wednesday, June 8."

"Wow, it does," said Duncan.

Mom added, "And it even acts as a cellphone!"

"I'm calling Crystal!" He dialed her PokéGear, and Crystal, who was outside, answered! "Amazing!"

---

After the party, in the Pokémon Lab, Professor Elm told Crystal, "Oh, yes. I needed to ask you a favor."

"What?"

"I'm conducting new Pokémon Research right now. I was wondering if you could help me with it, Crystal."

"Ask Duncan. He's the smart one."

"He doesn't seem willing to travel. You do. You see, I'm writing a paper that I want to present at a conference, but there are still some things I don't understand yet."

"So..."

"So I'd like you to raise a Pokémon that I recently caught."

"I'm afraid I'm not ready for that big of a responsibilty."

"But, please, I need your help!"

"Well, all right."

"Thanks, Kris! You're a great help! When I announce my findings, I'm sure we'll delve a bit deeper into the many mysteries of Pokémon. Count on it!"

"You've got mail!" the computer said.

"Oh, I got an e-mail," Elm said. "Hey, listen. I have an acquaintance called Mr. Pokémon."

"That's a weird name."

"He always finds rare things and raves about his discoveries."

"Never good to brag."

"Anyway, this e-mail to me says that this time it's real."

"What?"

"Intriguing, but we're busy with our Pokémon Research... that's why I offered you a Pokémon."

"What Pokémon?"

"There's Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile." Elm presented Crystal a set of three PokéBalls. "Think it over carefully. Your partner is important."

Crystal studied the PokéBalls carefully. Then she picked one up and said, "I'll take this one!" She pressed the button on the ball, calling out the Pokémon in it. It had a leaf on its head, and stumps for limbs.

"That's Chikorita. It's nice to raise."

"I'm taking it and naming it Leafy! Where does Mr. Pokémon live, anyway?"

"In Cherrygrove. It's a direct route there."

"Thank you for Leafy!"

---

That night, Duncan and Crystal were in bed.

"Good night, Dad," Crystal said.

Dad asked her, "So, what was Professor Elm's errand?"

"I have to go to Cherrygrove City to talk with Mr. Pokémon."

"That doesn't sound too hard. You should be proud that people rely on you."

"Good night, Mom," Duncan said.

The parents turned the lights of their rooms off. Crystal thought about Mr. Pokémon. Who could he be? In any case, she was willing to travel through Johto and beyond. They knew Johto would be safe, because Team Rocket disbanded last year.

---

"Uncle Norman, I really miss Dad," Kamon said upsettingly.  
"I know, Kamon. I miss him, too."

Kamon's cousin May told him, "He has to be somewhere in this world. He can't possibly vanish into thin air."

Kamon fell asleep, wondering where his father could be. He hasn't seen him since last year in Viridian City, where he was told to pack his things. Why did his dad leave without him? He dozed off into sleep...

---

Three shadows entered Prof. Elm's lab. Elm was in late. The shadowed people planned to rob him of his rare Pokémon. Elm suddenly noticed the shadows, and ran after them. "Hey! Get back here!" The shadowed people ran out the window. "Oh, no. Let's see if they ran off with any Pokémon... Oh, no! They took Totodile! Only Cyndaquil is left! Tomorrow, I must tell Crystal that she must bring Duncan along!" Trouble is beginning to rise again for the Caliduct family...


	2. Mr Pokémon and the Three Thieves

After school, Duncan and Crystal entered their dad's car. "Dad," Crystal said, "I have to go to Mr. Pokémon's house. I'll walk home."

"Go ahead, Crystal," Dad replied. Crystal left the car and headed down the road.

"Dad, I think Crystal's getting too prepared for her journey."

"Well, she's got her path to travel."

Suddenly, Duncan's PokéGear beeped. "Ah! A phone call!" He pulled it out, and answered. "Hello, who's this?"

"Duncan, it's Professor Elm!"

"Hi, Professor Elm! How are things?"

"Not so well. Last night, I got robbed."  
"What did the person take?"

"I think it's actually three people. Anyway, they took one of my Pokémon – Totodile! So I need you and Crystal to come straight home."

"But Crystal already left to Mr. Pokémon's house."

"Oh. Okay. I'll call her."

After a few minutes of travel through the town, she found a house with a sign saying, "Mr. Pokémon's House".

"Yes! I found it!"

She entered the house, and the occupant greeted her with, "Hello, hello there! You must be Crystal Caliduct. Yes, that's so. Professor Oak told me all about you. And Professor Elm said that you'd visit."

"What did he tell me to go here for?"

"I want Prof. Elm to examine this." He handed Crystal a strange egg. "I know a couple who run a Pokémon Day Care. They gave me that Egg. So, I sent mail to Profs. Oak and Elm. For evolution of Pokémon, Elm is the authority. Even Oak here recognizes that. If I am right, Elm will know it."

Another, older man noticed Crystal. "Ah-ha! So you're Crystal Caliduct! I know, because your cousin Karl told me about you."

Crystal exclaimed, "You're Professor Oak! The famous Pokémon Researcher in Kanto!"

"I was just visiting my old friend Mr. Pokémon. I heard you were running an errand for Prof. Elm, so I waited here."

"Elm gave me a Pokémon!" She called out Leafy, who materialized out of her PokéBall.

"Ah! A rare Pokémon! I see. Now I know why Elm gave it to you for the errand. To us researchers, Pokémon are our friends."

"I know. Leafy's my friend, too."

"You seem dependable. How would you like to help me out? This here is a Pokédex. I gave it to Karl last year. It's almost full. Around the 140s of Kanto Pokémon. There's a hundred more in Johto. And it automatically records Pokémon data, when the Pokémon is seen..."

"Though full info is obtained by catching them." Oak handed Crystal the Pokédex. It was like an encyclopedia, and it was filled with info on Kanto Pokémon.

"Travel, and fill that Pokédex!"

Suddenly, Crystal's PokéGear beeped. She answered it. "Hello?"

"Crystal, it's Prof. Elm. This is a disaster!"

"What?"

"Just terrible! What should I do... Please come back here!"

"It's Prof. Elm. He wants me back at home in New Bark Town."

Mr. Pokémon said, "So you must leave? Good luck." Crystal and Oak shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Prof. Oak."

"Good luck, Crystal!"

---

Meanwhile, back in Goldenrod City...

"Axel, I think Dad might have left because he and Uncle Norman got into a fight, and said that he didn't care to see him anymore," Kamon told his Persian. "I heard he once run a criminal syndicate, but I don't know, and can't seem to believe that. He may be short-tempered, but he's really not such a bad guy."

"Kamon, there's mail for you," Norman said. He handed him a small package.

"Let's see what it is, Axel." Kamon opened up the package, and saw that it was a PokéBall. "But I didn't ask for one. Oh well." He opened up the ball, and out came a small crocodile Pokémon. "Hey, that's a Totodile! But I think it's Prof. Elm's, and I think it's stolen."

"Let's call him and let him know we found it in the mail."

"Good idea." He picked up the phone, and called Elm. A shaky voice asked, "Hello!"

"Hello, I'm Kamon Stelldox, and I found your stolen Totodile."

"Great! My Totodile is found safely! Where'd you find it?"

"I found it in the mail today." Kamon then noticed that Totodile and Axel were playing with each other. They must be friends now! "And I think it likes it here!"

"Oh, that's great! I was worried that it would end up in the wrong hands, and be victim to experiments."

---

Meanwhile, outside Prof. Elm's lab, three people were looking in the window. A redhead female, a female with short, black hair, and a muscular male with a mullet were eavesdropping on Elm's conversation. The redhead said, "I can't believe it! It didn't work, guys."

"Becky, I think Kamon might not be a troublemaker."

"Courtney, I think you'd better shut your mouth!"

"Tabitha, please."

Tabitha, the male, said, "Now let's not get into a fight, girls. Okay, so Plan A didn't work. So now we've gotta to go to Goldenrod, and bag him!"

"Great idea, Tabitha," Becky said. "We'll just have to get him ourselves." She pulled out a cellphone. "Hey mom?"

"Hello, Becky," said Sandy, Becky's mother. "Did Kamon get Totodile?"  
"Yes, but he didn't abuse it in anyway. Look, Kamon just isn't fit for Team Rocket."

Sandy then responded, "He's Giovanni's son, and I think Giovanni might come back if his son joined. If your plan didn't work, we'll have to kidnap him."

"That was Tabitha's idea. Tell her, Tabitha."

"Yes, my idea."

---

In Elm's Lab, Crystal had just came in. "What's the problem?"

Duncan said, "Last night, Elm had been robbed. The thieves took Totodile."

"Unbelievable how anyone would so such a thing! Pokémon are living things, not tools of war!"

Duncan sighed. "I wonder how that Pokémon is doing. I hope it's okay..."

Elm exclaimed, "It _is_ okay! Kamon got it, and it's safe now."

Crystal said, "Well that's just great! It's good that Totodile ended up in the hands of a good kid."

Duncan added, "And if Totodile ended up in the hands of a bad trainer, it could have turned bad itself!"

Elm said, "The thieves were hidden, because it was really dark. I was able to make out some details though. One of them was a young female with long red hair, another was another young female with short, black hair, and the third one was a young muscular male."

Tabitha said, "Uh-oh, Becky, we'd better split!"

Becky said, "We're on it!" The three thieves ran off into the forest.

Duncan asked, "Anyway, Crystal, what was Mr. Pokémon's big discovery?"

"This." She reached into her bag, and pulled out the mystery egg. She handed it to Elm.

"This!" He jumped. "But... is it a Pokémon Egg? If so, then it's a great discovery!"

Crystal added, "Prof. Oak was there. He gave me a Pokédex, too."

Elm exclaimed, "What! Incredible! He is superb at seeing people's trainer potential. Wow, Crystal. You may have the potential to beat your cousin to become the Champion."

Duncan said, "Crystal, if you're going on a journey, I have to come along, Dad's orders."

Elm said, "Duncan and Crystal, you should both take the Gym Challenge."

Duncan said, "The closest Gym is in Violet City."

Elm trailed off. "...Duncan and Crystal Caliduct, the road will be a long one."

Crystal said, "We'd better let Mom and Dad know, so they don't get worried. But I think they're already worried, because of the theft."

Elm told Duncan, "Here is Cyndaquil."

"I'm calling him Ember."

---

Back in Duncan and Crystal's house, in the kitchen, their mom said, "Duncan and Crystal, those are nice Pokémon."

"We got them from Prof. Elm, to wish us luck on the Gym Challenge. And the stolen Totodile is safe now," said Duncan.

Crystal said, "It ended up with Kamon."

Dad told Crystal, "Crystal, use these on your Pokédex quest." He handed both of them five PokéBalls each. "To fill the Dex, you have to catch the creatures. Throw these balls to catch them.

Mom added, "We'll call you if anything comes up! And be careful. Pokémon are your friends. You two need to work together with them as a team."

Dad added further, "We're behind you all the way."

Crystal thought, Aren't they aware of the theft? Then again, since Kamon has Totodile now, it's probably not a problem.

Duncan thought, I can't believe we're leaving on a journey tomorrow, after school. I just wanted to get done with school, but there'd be nothing to do. The journey will take care of that. But with Crystal? This is ridiculous.

Meanwhile, in Team Rocket's Hideout somewhere...

"Conner, we've got to have Kamon here. Giovanni will come back if he knows that his son is in Team Rocket."

"Sandy, Kamon's not as easy as he seems. But since he doesn't plan on leaving home, we can bag him quite easily."

"No one tries to outsmart a Drayan. We're smarter than the kid. I mean we both have Master's Degrees! And he's still in high school!"


	3. The Adventure Continues

_Cherrygrove City: The City of Cute, Fragrant Flowers_

The school bell rang. Kids ran out of the school, Crystal included. Duncan trudged along. "It's time to begin our adventure. School's out, and we're heading from here in Cherrygrove City to our next stop: Violet City!"

"Crystal, I want to go home."

"No! Elm said to begin this quest, and we want to respect Karl's wishes, too!"

"Can't he and Hadley do it themselves?"

"They're staying in Kanto, and we're trying to help them."

"Fine. I'll go with you."

"I knew you'd agree."

---

They headed out into Route 30, stocked with supplies. Duncan picked up dropped Berries while on the way. They found a Hoppip! "Go, Ember!" Out came the fire mouse. "Tackle!" It charged full-body into the light seed Pokémon. Hoppip jumped up and down. But nothing happened. Duncan tossed a PokéBall at it, and caught it! It was transferred to PC.

Suddenly, a small boy, who introduced himself as Joey, said, "I just lost, so I'm looking for more Pokémon. Hey! You look weak! Let's battle! Go, Rattata!"

"Go, Leafy!" Crystal called out Leafy. "Razor Leaf!"

---

"Rattata! Tail Whip!" The rat whipped its tail cutely, but Leafy wasn't one to see the sight. The leaves clipped Rattata, which passed out. "I lost again! Do I have to have more Pokémon in order to battle better?"

"No, you just need to strengthen yours more. Or try another Pokémon," said Duncan.

"No! I'm sticking with this one no matter what!"

"Becoming a good trainer is real tough," said Crystal. "So take your time."

---

After fifteen minutes of travel, they made it to Route 31. There was a cave at the mountainside. "Dark Cave. If our Pokémon could light it up, we could enter," said Duncan. Crystal entered the cave.

"It's pitch dark in here!" She pulled out a flashlight. It wasn't as effective as a Pokémon using the move Flash, but still effective. Crystal scurried out of the cave. Ten minutes later, Duncan came out too. "Where were you?"

"I just caught a Geodude. I'll call him Rocky."

Then, they headed off to Violet City, as dusk set in.

That night, Crystal caught sight of a Hoothoot! "You're mine! Go, Leafy!"

Hoothoot growled at Leafy. Leafy's attack fell slightly, but it attacked in a rage of Agility! After Hoothoot was too dizzy to fight, Crystal tossed a PokéBall at it, catching it.

"Hello, Hoothoot. I'm your new trainer, Crystal." They then saw light. Violet City! And so, they headed off into the city lights...

---

Kamon looked into the photo album. In there, he found a picture of his dad when he was only a child. Then there was Kamon's mother. A youthful female, who took good care of him. Lately, in the winter, she suffered pneumonia, and died a week later, her health declining. Kamon was only nine years old at the time. Kamon then put the album back into the shelf, and exit the door. Axel followed him.

Kamon and Axel walked around the dark city, through the dark, empty alley between the Radio Tower and the Magnet Train Station. This was where he came here from Kanto. He and Axel sat on the bench, and they remembered the time that just before Dad left, they came to Saffron City, and entered the next train here. And all Kamon had to remind him of his mother was a small necklace. Before she passed away, his mother told him that it was a Silver Wing. But what does it do?

"Come on Croc." He called out the Totodile. "I'm sure we'll understand this Silver Wing someday." Kamon sighed, and the two Pokémon moved toward him, and embraced him.

"Kamon?" Uncle Norman! "What are you doing here?"

"Just spending time alone with Axel and Croc. This is our favorite spot."

"Okay, but please come home. We're worried about you."

"It's summer now. I don't have to go to school."

"I know, but you still need to be safe."

They all walked back home.

In his room, with Axel on his bed, he had a strange feeling that an adventure was about to begin. "Axel, I think this could mean the beginning of a whole new adventure! But when is it going to begin?" With those thoughts, he fell asleep, and didn't awake for the rest of the night.

---

_Violet City: The City of Nostalogic Scents. Falkner runs the Gym here._

Duncan and Crystal entered Violet City, and into a Pokémon Center. Crystal thought about Kamon, and how she wished he would come along. Duncan contemplated about his commitment to filling the Pokédex for Karl and Hadley, and thought, Hey, there's only 100 more Pokémon or so in Johto. It should be a little bit quicker. They rented a room, while their Pokémon were healed.

The next morning, Duncan and Crystal headed outside. Crystal asked, "So, where do we start?"

"I'll enter the Gym. You go to Sprout Tower."

"Good idea," said Crystal. They went to their respective destinations.

---

Crystal entered the Sprout Tower. She heard it was built for trainers. Good place to strengthen Pokémon. There, she could see columns wobbling like they were flexible. "How are those columns moving?" Trainers must be upstairs! A man told her, "Only if you reach the top will you obtain an HM."

"What's the HM?"

"You must reach the top!"

And so, she traveled up the stairs. A man told her, "However hard we battle, the Tower will stand strong. Go, Bellsprout!"

"Go, Hoothoot!"

---

In the Gym, Duncan was surprised to see the doorman greeting him. "Hiya! I'm Ben Pyrolic. I helped your cousin with his journey last year, and this year, I'm going to help you!"

"What? How?"

"I'll give you advice! Believe me! A championship dream may come true again."

"The Grass-type is weak against the Flying-type. Keep that in mind. Use electric- or rock- Pokémon."

"Rocky, I never thought I'd need you!"

Duncan walked carefully through the Gym. There was only a small bridge from Falkner and himself, and falling down could break his neck and kill him. "Okay... so I can do this... I can do this... I can do this... I can't do this!" He ran back to the entrance.

"Come on, Duncan! I know you can do it! Try again!"

Duncan then ran through the bridge, and to Falkner.

"I'm Falkner, the Violet Pokémon Gym Leader! I can't believe people say you can zap bird Pokémon's wings with electricity. I won't allow such insults to those birds! I'll show you the real power of these Pokémon! Go, Pidgey!"

"Go, Rocky!"

---

In the top floor of Sprout Tower, Crystal saw many statues of Bellsprouts, very distinguished, and shiny golden, and a powerful painting of the Pokémon. Those guys sure do worship those Pokémon... And among them was an elderly man. "So good of you to come here! My name is Li."

"Eh?"

"Sprout Tower is a place of training, and where people and Pokémon test their bonds to build a bright future together. I am your test. Allow me to check the ties between you and your Pokémon! Go, Bellsprout!"

"Go, Hoothoot!"

---

Back in Violet Gym, Duncan had won! "No! My dad's cherished bird Pokémon... Oh well. I'm only starting out. Here is your first badge, the official Pokémon League Zyphyr Badge."

"Yes! The first Badge! I guess my Pokémon and I are fit for this adventure!"

"Indeed! This Badge increases Pokémon's Attack power. They can also use Flash outside of battle, but you'll need the Flash HM to use it. Sprout Tower is currently giving away that kind of HM for those who defeat the elder Li."

"Crystal's there, and I think she already won!"

"And take this, too." He handed him a small disc, about the size of a GameCube Game Disc.

"By using a TM, a Pokémon will instantly learn a move recorded on it. But it's only good for one use, so think before using it. This contains Mud-Slap. It reduces the enemy's accuracy and causes damage."

"It's both offensive and defensive!"

"Nice battle," said Ben. "Keep it up, and you'll be the Champ in no time! And look! Ember's evolving!"

"Huh?" And so it was! Ember began to morph, but Duncan pulled out his Pokédex, and pushed a button. The evolution stopped. "As much as I like Pokémon to be powerful, I think it's too soon to evolve them right now."

---

In Sprout Tower, Hoothoot had defeated Li. "Ah, excellent! You and your Pokémon should have no trouble using this move. The Flash HM!"

"Flash?"  
"It lights up even the darkest of rooms. But you will need this city's Zyphyr Badge to use it."

"Duncan's in that Gym, and I think he got it now!" She exit the room, and felt a teleportation pull her out.

"I'm back in the city!"

"Hey, Crystal! I got the Zyphyr Badge!"

"I got the Flash HM!"

"Together, we can make a pretty good team!"

They gave each other a high-five. Suddenly, Duncan's PokéGear bleeped. "Hey! A phone call!"

It was from Prof. Elm. "Hello, Duncan! We found out something about the Egg! My Aide is at Azalea Town. Could you please talk to him?"

"I'm on it! Crystal, our next stop is Azalea Town!"

They headed out of the city, into Route 32.

---

In Goldenrod City, Kamon reminisced about last year and the events. "It was around last year. Team Rocket was up to no good with Pokémon. But justice always wins! The Color Triad disbanded them!"

May said, "I guess lots of parents are willing to let their kids travel now! Right, Axel?"

She petted the Persian.

--- 

Route 32 became more mountainous. Near Union Cave was a Pokémon Center. Upon reaching the Center, a fat man solicited them.

"How would you like to buy this tasty, nutritious Slowpoke Tail?"

Crystal exclaimed, "Part of a Pokémon? Eww! I'm a vegetarian!"

"Just $1,000,000!"

"A million? I'm not a Rich Boy, and Crystal here isn't a Lady! We're just random Pokémon Trainers! We don't have a million! And I think this is all a scam for money!"

The fat man ran off.

Crystal remarked, "I guess we told him off, huh?"

"Yep, we did."

"I still think a scam is going on. How do we know that guy isn't a crook?"

"And I have a very bad feeling!"

They entered the Center.


	4. Team Rocket's Revenge

_Azalea Town: Where People and Pokémon Live in Happy Harmony_

_Slowpoke Well, a.k.a the Rainmaker Well: Locals believe that a Slowpoke's yawn summons rain. Records show that a Slowpoke's yawn ended a drought 400 years ago._

_--- _

"It was around a year ago. Team Rocket was up to no good with Pokémon," the reporter said on TV. The Tohjo Times was on! "But justice came in the form of the Color Triad. In other news, Azalea Town appears to have been stripped bare of all of its flagship Pokémon, Slowpoke. Investigators are searching this case."

"Crystal, check this out! Azalea Town's Slowpokes are gone!"

"Maybe they went off playing somewhere else. Ilex Forest?"

"Team Rocket, which disbanded last year, appears to have resurfaced. Their leader's identity is still unknown. They were said to be last seen during the Slowpokes' disappearance. The leaders of this group are said to be Rebecca Drayan, Tabitha Ventosia, and Courtney Ramalio."

Crystal gasped in horror. "Team Rocket's back!" She wished she hadn't started this journey after all.

Duncan thought, That's just lame. What would they use those Slowpokes for? Suddenly, he remembered... "That fat guy who offered us Slowpoke Tails!"

"Duncan, could you please not gross me out anymore?"

"No, I have an idea! I bet the Slowpoke Tails are linked to Team Rocket somehow! They were last seen when the Slowpokes disappeared!"

"So Team Rocket must have taken them!"  
"Exactly!"

"That's using the old noodle! But we can't fight them," said Crystal disappointingly.

"Why?"

"Because Karl and Hadley ran into them last time, and who knows what could have happened! Now Karl's number one on their hit list!"

"You're right. It's too dangerous for us to handle. We'll have to continue on with the Pokédex quest."

"It's better than getting kidnapped."

---

"Kamon, Team Rocket is back. I don't want you to get involved with them. And so, I'm afraid you're not to leave the house until the problem is resolved," Norman told his nephew, apologetically.

"You're just too overprotective of me," praised Kamon.

"I just want to make sure you're safe. I don't want you to be robbed, or worse!"

"I know. Axel and Croc like it with me. They're fine with me. Right, Croc?"

Croc cried out in positivity.

In Slowpoke Well, Becky was talking on her video cellphone. "We have the Slowpokes you requested, sir."

Conner said on the phone, "Good job. Now we're going to be rich! Bring them over to HQ, and we'll have our Slowpoke plantation! Giovanni will _really_ want to come back! And remember his son, Kamon. You have to pick him up at Goldenrod City."

"Yes sir. Goldenrod is our next stop."

Tabitha said, "You got it, dude!"

Courtney added, "Sure thing. Three Elites will be easily able to overpower a kid with only two untrained Pokémon."

Duncan and Crystal tried to enter Union Cave, but it was closed up. The sign said, "Cave closed for repairs. Please use the road to get to Azalea Town."

"I guess we'll just skip a dungeon," said Duncan.

After ten minutes of travel, they began to grow tired. A Jeep drove to them.

"Don't, Duncan. We're not hitchhiking."

"We have to! And besides..."

"I'm Kurt, the custom PokéBall creator from Azalea Town. And this is my granddaughter Maisy. We'll give you a lift there."

"...we can trust him."

The trainers entered the Jeep.

---

A few minutes later, they finally reached Azalea Town. Dusk had set in, and Crystal was already very scared. Team Rocket came here, and they may still be here.

"Duncan, I got a really weird feeling here."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

In Kurt's house, Duncan saw many things, among them was a supposed picture of a young Prof. Oak. In addition, a desk had tools for forging PokéBalls. At dinner time, all four people.

"So, you make PokéBalls," said Crystal.

"Yes, I do."

Duncan asked, "Could you make some for us, please?"

"I'm sorry, but that will have to wait right now."

"Why?"

"Team Rocket is here, and you know them. They use Pokémon to do their criminal duties. They're supposed to have disbanded a year ago. But, they're at the Well, cutting off the tails of Slowpokes! Selling the tails would net them a fortune!"

Crystal inquired, "So how does that get in the way with your job?"

"My thoughts are always occupied by them! So I'm going to give them a taste of their own medicine! Hang on, Slowpokes! Kurt's on his way to save you!" He then barged out the door.

"Grandpa's gone... I'm so lonely."

"He'll come back," assured Crystal.

---

A few hours later, Kurt didn't come back.

"It's 11:00 PM, and he's still not back? Come on Crystal, we have to find out what happened to him!"

"No, Duncan! It's too dangerous!"

"Look, we're just going to find Kurt." The trainers then ran out the door, to the town center, and into the Well. "You know about Slowpoke Tail? I heard it tastes great," said Duncan sarcastically.

"Ugh..."

"Glad I told you that?"

Crystal nodded. "No."

---

In the cave, as their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they found that there were no Slowpokes. Kurt was missing too. "Where are they?" asked Crystal.

"Maybe they're deep in the cave."

After a few seconds of walking, Crystal was pulled away. "Help!"

"Crystal! No! I can't believe it!" He ran out of the cave.

---

The Rocket Elites were in the lit-up center of the cave. Crystal and Kurt were tied up and gagged, their Pokémon and equipment taken from them.

"I can't believe some trainers are already trying to stop us," said Becky.

"That old dude's much weaker than us, and so is that rookie trainer! I think she's related to Red and Green," added Tabitha.

Crystal froze for a second. They know Karl and Hadley! Crystal tried to protest, but all that came out was a muffled cry.

Courtney continued, "We need to bring the Slowpokes to HQ."

Tabitha asked, "What about these two?"

Becky replied, "We'll bring them along, too."

"Mmmph!" Crystal and Kurt began to tense up, trying to struggle out of their bonds.

"Mach, guard them," ordered Becky. She then told Crystal, "Slowpoke Tails grow back in just a few minutes! There's nothing wrong with selling them. By the way, do you happen to know someone by the name of Kamon Stelldox?"

"We're telling you this info because after all, we're going to HQ and you're coming along with us soon."

Crystal tried to protest against their plan, but couldn't. They're coming after him! As soon as I get free, I'm going to warn him, thought Crystal.

Machamp looked at them, with a threatening look, cracking its knuckles. Crystal began to shiver uncontrollably, thinking she was about to be punched. She looked at the captive Slowpokes, and admitted defeat.

Kurt thought, What a shame. Innocent Pokémon abused by their trainers. There was no such thing as a bad Pokémon. They only did bad things because their trainers are abusing them. Nevertheless, Duncan only had tonight to stop the plan, or Kurt and Crystal could suffer a horrible fate.

---

Meanwhile, back at the entrance...

"Ember, I don't believe it! Why would someone take away Crystal? Does it have anything to do with Team Rocket's involvement with Karl and Hadley? Maybe _they_ should have stayed out of their plans _in the first place! _I'm not angry, but I just can't believe the journey's at a downhill here. That's what life is, a series of downhills! This is _not_ my day! We've got to stop them, and show them how gutsy we are! Caliducts _never_ give up! Karl and Hadley didn't, and so neither should Crystal and I!" Duncan told Ember. He recalled the fire mouse, and ran into the cave. "Don't worry, Kris! I'll save you!"

---

In Goldenrod City, Kamon was watching the news. Apparently, Team Rocket was indeed hacking the tails off of those Slowpokes. "Doesn't surprise me," said Gloria, May's mother. "Everything they do is for profit," said Norman.

May responded, "Hey, they're Team Rocket. They'll do anything to make a quick buck!"

"And I think Duncan and Crystal are in on it," exclaimed Kamon.

"I hope not," said May.

Kamon was scared. What if Team Rocket got away with them?

---

In the cave, with Ember's Flash to guide him, Duncan traveled through. He was scared that Team Rocket might find him too. All we wanted to do was fill the Pokédex, he thought. Now it's becoming a manhunt for the newly-reformed Team Rocket. He had hoped that they didn't hurt Crystal or anything.

Duncan gasped, and whispered, "Ember, come back." He recalled the fire mouse as quietly as possible. A Team Rocket Grunt was searching the area for any intruders, with a flashlight. Duncan hid in the darkness while the grunt searched the area, careful not to be seen. He couldn't tense up, or he would be heard. Suddenly, a familiar owl flew through the grunt, pecking him. "Ow! Ow! Get away! Go, Rattata!" The owl attacked the rat, and in an astounding flurry defeated it, and knocked the grunt unconscious. He'll be fine, Duncan thought.

"Hoothoot! What are you doing here?"

He pulled out the Pokédex, and pressed the Translator button. Hoothoot's hoots were translated to, "I fell out of my PokéBall when Crystal was kidnapped. I'll follow you through!"

"Great! A miracle! Come on, Ember! Let's follow Hoothoot," Duncan said.

Duncan and the two Pokémon followed through the dark cave. At that point, they heard the blunt cry of a Slowpoke. Duncan followed the cry, and indeed it was a Slowpoke, with its tail cut off. Further, were voices.

"...Giovanni's kid..."

The Slowpoke had a stump where the tail used to be. I hope this isn't permanent damage, Duncan thought.

"I can't believe they abuse you like this! You're living things, not tools!"

"What's that?"

"Uh-oh!" He ran into the darkness, but a crow Pokémon detected him!

Becky said, "Hey! You!"

"Me?"

"I don't see anyone else! Shouldn't you be with the other grunts... Hey! You're another intruder!"  
"Quick, Rocky and Hoothoot, deal with this Rocket while I get Crystal and Kurt!" He switched out Ember with Rocky, and scurried over to where Becky came in from.

Indeed, there were Crystal and Kurt, tied up. Crystal desperately tried to yell for help. Duncan quickly came over, and untied her.

"Thanks, Duncan." She untied Kurt, and they returned to the battle. "Hey! Hoothoot got free!"

And two other Elites were there. Tabitha and Courtney. "All right, now it's even," said Kurt.

"We're going to stop you!"  
"Stop us? Right, just try to defeat us," said Tabitha sarcastically.

"Uh, please leave the adult matters from you kids," uttered Courtney.

Becky yelled, "Don't expect any mercy! Murkrow, Thief!"

"Weepinbell, Sludge," ordered Tabitha."

Golbat, Supersonic!"

---

In Rocket Hideout, Conner told Sandy, "Gee, it sure is taking them a long time. I tried giving Rebecca a phone call, but she didn't answer. Must be busy."

"They'll come, we just need to wait a bit more."

"Does Kamon know his dad led Team Rocket?"

"Not to my knowledge, no. But he'll find out."

Suddenly, her cellphone beeped. Sandy answered, and said, "Where are you?"

Rebecca told her mother, "We were defeated by some rookie trainers and Kurt."

That old man is still powerful, thought Sandy.

"Well, then, pull out. Just remember to get Kamon."

"OK, that brat's not so tough!"

Sandy then hung up.

"Sandy?"  
"Yes?"

"Set a course for the Elite Triad."

"Where?"

"In National Park."

"Why?"

"During the Bug-Catching Contest, which is two days from now, prepare for cleaning out the area of the Bug Pokémon."

"Okay, no problem."

---

Duncan exclaimed, "Hey! Ember and Leafy are evolving!"

The two Pokémon flashed, and gradually morphed into bigger Pokémon.

"They're now respectively Quilava and Bayleef," said Crystal.

Becky exclaimed, "You did okay this time, you brats, but wait until next time!"

Duncan turned away from the evolution. "I thought you broke up last year."

"We did," said Tabitha. "But we've continued our activities underground"

Courtney added, "So, feel free to see us stirring up trouble!"

They laughed victoriously despite their defeat, and ran off.

Kurt exclaimed, "Way to go, Duncan! Team Rocket ran off!"

"Let's get out of here," said Crystal.

---

In Kurt's house, was a blue-haired kid. A boy or a girl?

"Great job, Duncan and Crystal! You sure are powerful to start with. I'd like to have this for your work." Bugsy handed Duncan the Hive Badge.

"But, I didn't battle you..."

"Doesn't matter. You'd defeat me anyway, since you showed those Rockets who's boss. You deserve it anyways."

"Thanks, Bugsy," exclaimed Crystal.

"You're welcome." He ran out.

Maisy exclaimed in excitement, "Grandpa's back! And so is Slowpoke, and his tail is growing back!"

Kurt told Duncan, "Duncan, you handled yourself real good at the Well. My PokéBalls are going to be available for sale soon at every PokéMart in Johto!"

Crystal uttered shakily to her brother, "Duncan, Team Rocket told me that they're going to get Kamon."

"Oh, no. We've got to warn him," he said in disbelief.

They had a bad feeling about this...


	5. Goldenrod City

_Ilex Forest is big. Trainers should be careful not to get lost. It is also guarded by its protector, so one should stay out of trouble. Don't get lost!_

With the Hive Badge in hand, Duncan and Crystal headed off to Ilex Forest the next morning. The trees were very thick, allowing only a little bit of light to pass through. It was also humid. After a few seconds of travel, they found Bugsy again. "Oh man, my boss is gonna be mad! His Farfetch'd ran away from me!"

Duncan asked, "Can't you go looking for it?"

"No, it's too big and scary."

"We'll keep an eye out for it," said Crystal.

After a few minutes of travel, they found a bird Pokémon caught in a trap. Duncan pulled out his Pokédex, which revealed that it was a Farfetch'd! "Just like Bugsy said!" he exclaimed. He pushed the Translator button.

"Kwaa!" was translated to "Help! Pull this trap off of me!"

"That's a nasty trap," Crystal remarked. Duncan then carefully came over to the bird Pokémon, and sprung the trap. Farfetch'd then ran off in pain. "Wait! Come back," Crystal ordered.

They then pursued the bird Pokémon, until they were tired. Then they headed back to Bugsy.

"I found Farfetch'd, but it ran off on us... wait! There it is!"

Bugsy was beaming with excitement. "Yes! Now he won't be mad at me..."

An older man said, "Now we can cut trees for charcoal. Now, let's see. I'll give you this for your trouble." The man handed Duncan an HM. "That's the Cut HM. You use that to clear down trees."

Crystal snatched the HM from Duncan. "Huh?"

"Here you go, Leafy." She pressed the HM to Leafy's head, and then a flash of light. Leafy learned Cut!

Ben was there, too. "Great job for defeating Team Rocket's plan in Slowpoke Well! You sure did 'well' last night." He patted Duncan's shoulder. "With people like you, the future of Pokémon is bright."

And so, Bugsy guided Duncan and Crystal through the forest. They saw a small shrine. "What's that?" asked Crystal.

Bugsy replied, "That's the Ilex Forest Shrine. It's in honor of the forest's protector."

"Maybe someday we'll understand," said Duncan. "But not for a while."

They pushed forward, catching Pokémon such as Psyduck and Venonat, and then they headed into Route 34. "Thanks Bugsy!"

"No problem!"

"Okay, we've got to get to Kamon, before Team Rocket does," said Crystal. She was deeply worried about him. "Huh?" The Egg Crystal was carrying began to rumble a few times, beginning to crack open. Duncan and Crystal stared in awe, as they saw the beginning of a Pokémon's life. Out came a Spike Ball Pokémon! The Pokédex identified it as Togepi. "Hello Spike!" exclaimed Crystal in excitement. They ran to Goldenrod City. Crystal walked, as she wanted to be careful with Spike.

---

_Goldenrod City: The City of Opulent Charm_

The city was bustling, and it would be very hard to travel without a map of some sort. Duncan and Crystal used their PokéGears as maps through the city, and headed to the city center. Duncan went to the Gym while Crystal went to the Radio Tower.

In the Gym, Duncan was introduced again by Ben. "Yo! Champ in the making! This Gym is home to Normal-Type Pokémon. Try using the Fighting-type Pokémon."

"Wait, I'll be right back." Twenty minutes later, Duncan was back. "I caught this Tyrogue."

The Pokémon was a small (2'04") human-shaped creature which looked like it could pack a wallop!

"Great! You should have no problem!"

And so, Duncan headed to the center, where the Gym Leader was stationed. "Hi! I'm Whitney!"

"I'm Duncan Caliduct."

"Everyone's into Pokémon, so I got into it too! They're super-cute."

"I'm here to claim my Plain Badge."

"So you wanna battle? I'm warning you – I'm a professional! Go, Clefairy!"

"Go, Tyrogue! Hi Jump Kick!"

"Metronome, Clefairy!"

---

At the Radio Tower, Crystal stood in awe. It was huge! So _that's_ where all the radio and TV shows come from! She remembered in history class that it was built to replace the one that was destroyed in the Johto earthquake. As she entered, she told Spike, "This is where everything live on the radio or TV is broadcast!"

Spike cried out, "Togei! Togei!"

"Let's try the quiz." She talked to the receptionist. "Hello, I'm here for the quiz show. My name is Crystal Caliduct." Suddenly she caught the sight of her cousin Hadley! "Hi there!"

"Crystal? It's you! I'm gonna beat you, since I'm so smart!"

"I may not do well in school, but I've raised a Pokémon Egg to hatching! Here's Spike, a Togepi!"

"Wow! That Pokémon never appeared in Kanto! Where'd you get it?"

"Mr. Pokémon gave it to me. Then I gave it to Prof. Elm. Then, at the Ruins of Alph, I- I guess we'd better get to the game!"

"You're right. I bet that I'll win the Porygon."

"No way! I'm filling the Pokédex along with Duncan."

"Where is he?"

"He's in the Gym, battling Whitney."

---

In the contest, the host exclaimed, "Hello! Welcome to the Pokémon Quiz! I'm your host, Mary Kawlet, and here I've got three contestants, Crystal Caliduct from New Bark Town, Hadley Caliduct from Pallet Town, and Misty Archegus from Cerulean City! Ready?"

"Ready," said Crystal.

"Ready to win!" exclaimed Hadley. She stared at her cousin in confidence.

"I'm the boss!" said Misty.

"Here is your first question: Is there a Pokémon that only appears in the morning?"

Hadley pressed her button. "Yes, and it's Ledyba. It appears in the National Park."

Duncan and Crystal entered the Pokémon Center. Crystal used a PC to search for Kamon's address while Duncan called Prof. Elm.

Prof. Elm said on the phone, "Hello, Duncan! How's the Egg?"

---

"Correct, Hadley! Your second question: Berries can't be bought at Marts. True, or false?"

Misty pushed her button. "False."

A beep rang. "No, I'm sorry."

Crystal pushed her button. "True!"

"Yes! Third question: What does HM 1 contain?

A. Rock Smash,

B. Strength,

C. Cut,

D. Flash."

Crystal pushed her button. "Cut!"

"Yes! That's right! Question 4: Who is the Violet City Gym Leader?

A. Falkner,

B. Chuck,

C. Bugsy,

D. Pryce."

Misty pushed her button. "Falkner!"

"Right-o! Here's the final question: Who is the current Viridian City Gym Leader?"

A. Giovanni,

B. Kevin, a.k.a Blue,

C. Misty,

D. Lt. Surge."

Crystal pushed her button. "B. Blue!" Crystal read the news one day that Hadley's boyfriend, Kevin Oak, grandson of Prof. Oak, had taken over as the Gym Leader."

"YES! You win!"

"In your face, _nerd!_" Crystal yelled to her cousin. She was handed a PokéBall with Porygon. "Another entry in the Pokédex. Don't worry, Hadley. I'm just filling the Dex."

"No problem, Kris. Good luck!"

"Oh, and Misty?"

"Yes?" she asked, in tears.

"You tried the best you could, but Hadley and I are the travelers."

"Well, I'd love to hit the road and travel one day."

---

"Normal Pokémon had one weakness: Fighting Pokémon!" Duncan exclaimed, as he defeated Whitney. The Gym Leader sobbed.

"You meanie! You shouldn't be so mean to cute Pokémon!"

"I'm sorry for making you cry..."

"Don't worry about it, Duncan," Ben assured him. "She'll stop soon."

"Ahem," Duncan said. "Excuse me, weren't you supposed to give me a badge?"

"Oh, yes. Now I remember. Here is the Plain Badge."

"Yes!"

"Come by for a visit again!"

"Well, Ben, you really work out for a tutor."

"I do my best."

In the Radio Tower, Crystal was still amazed that she won her prize. "Spike, I think filling the Pokédex should be a cinch!" Suddenly, she foresees somehow, that Kamon might be captured by Team Rocket later! "Oh, yeah! We need to get Kamon! Let's get Duncan and let him know!"


	6. Getting Kamon

"It hatched, Elm. It's a Togepi!"

"Please come show me now!"

Suddenly, Crystal barged into the door. "We gotta get Kamon! I just remembered!"

"We can't show you right now."  
"What!"

"We don't have enough time. Look, the Totodile's trainer, Kamon, is being stalked by Team Rocket. I don't know why, but I know we're in serious trouble. Do you think we should tell Mom and Dad about Team Rocket?"

"No. Keep it a secret. But I'll let you know of any information leaked," stressed Elm.

"You're right. The less they know, the better. Those guys are bad news," emphasized Duncan. "Now let's get going! We gotta get Kamon!"

"Let's go to Bill's house. Maybe he'll help us."

They exit the Center, and followed the directions to Bill's house. Duncan knocked on the door.

A young man answered it. "Bill!"

"Duncan and Crystal! Your cousins told me all about you!"

"You know them?" asked Crystal.

"Yes, I do! I met them at my Kanto home."

"Look, we need help," said Duncan.

"Anything."

"Do you know Kamon Stelldox?"

"Yeah, he's a neighbor of mine."

"Could you please take us to him? It's an emergency," stressed Crystal.

Kamon played Mario Kart DS on his Nintendo DS until he heard a knock on the door. A young man with brick-red hair, and gray eyes. May had left for summer camp while Uncle Norman and Aunt Gloria left for work. He was all alone and scared. He opened the door shakily, and was relieved to see that it was only Bill, the creator of the Pokémon Storage System. Beside Bill were Duncan and Crystal! "Bill? What are you doing here? Hey! It's you two!"

"Kamon, you've gotta get out of here!" exclaimed Duncan.  
"Why?"

"Because Team Rocket's coming after you! They know where you live," emphasized Crystal.

"I don't believe any of that. Axel, Croc, and I are safe."

Duncan then pulled out a videotape.

"Dunc, where'd you get that?" asked Crystal.

"While I was saving you, I found the video camera being filmed of you and Team Rocket. So I brought it here as proof that they're gonna get you, Kamon!"

Kamon gruffly said, "Let's watch it and see if you're lying."

In Kamon's bedroom, they watched the tape on the TV.

"...we're going after someone you know: Kamon Stelldox!"

"That's me!" he exclaimed. "Axel, we're not safe anymore! We gotta hide!"

"I told you so," said Duncan, exasperated. "And they'll complete their goal if-"

The front door was knocked down. Three people came in. "Alright, Tabitha and Courtney, let's see which room is Kamon's," were the voices they heard.

"Quick, guys! Hide!" exclaimed Bill.

Kamon then quickly ducked out of sight under the bed. Duncan and Crystal hid in the closet. Bill came into the living room. He acted natural, and casual, as he inquired, "Say, what are you doing here?"

There were two women and one man. One woman was a redhead, while the other had short, black hair. The male was a muscular man with a mullet.

"We're not telling you," said the redhead. "That's not your concern, buddy!"

"Excuse me, but weren't you looking for someone?" asked Bill.

"Yeah, dude. We're looking for a kid living here-" the man said, but was interrupted.

"Don't tell him that," whispered the redhead.

"A-ha! You _are_ here for kidnapping! Well, I'm afraid he's not here right now. He probably started his journey, like lots of kids."

"Nice try, kid," said the black-haired woman, "But I'm pretty sure his uncle didn't sign him up for anything."

"Say," inquired Bill to the black-haired woman. "You look like Agatha's granddaughter. You know, she retired this year. I don't know what she plans to do during her retirement..."

"What's going on?" asked Crystal.

"I don't know, but we're all in serious trouble," said Duncan.

"We've got to escape," said Crystal.

Kamon wrote up a note saying, "Dear Uncle Norman. I have left this house to escape from Team Rocket. Far away. Please call me. I'll tell you where. Sincerely, Kamon." He then put the note on the bed, quickly grabbed a vest to put on over his gray shirt, put on his black sneakers, packed his laptop, cell phone, and other belongings into a case, put it in his backpack, and opened up the window.

"Axel, claw through the window screen!" The Persian then scratched through the window screen, and Kamon climbed out of it. "Come on, Axel, let's ditch this place before they find us!" The cat then jumped out, along with Duncan and Crystal.

"Kamon, I want you to stay out of anything that could harm you, and please stay... with me..." said Crystal, embracing him, and staring right at him.

"Love later, guys! We gotta flee!"

"Get in my car! We'll be able to escape quicker!"

A few minutes later, they drove off, while the would-be kidnappers left the house. "Well, he's not there, either, dad. But we've got Bill."

Conner answered Becky, "Well, then just track down his license plate. He may have driven off somewhere. And bring Bill with you. We don't anyone to reveal our plan."

"OK! He just drove off, and is headed to National Park. We got him right where we want him!"

The three trainers, along with Kamon's Persian, were driving the Speed Limit to get away from the kidnappers. "I just hope they don't catch up to us!" exclaimed Kamon in fear.

"Fufushaa!" Axel cried out in agreement. They were indeed driving towards the park.


	7. Team Rocket Strikes Back

"Here we are, National Park Relaxation Square," said Kamon.

Duncan searched the area. He was certain and assured those thugs wouldn't find them here.

Crystal shivered in fright. What if they do get here? Why do they want to take Kamon away? He didn't do anything wrong!

Meanwhile, Team Rocket had gotten Bill and locked him into their getaway car. A metallic ring was clamped around his chest to keep his arms from moving from his sides. "Bill, don't you dare move from that spot," threatened Becky. Bill was determined to warn his friends about Team Rocket and their return. I thought they disbanded last year, thought Bill. But I guess not! The three Rockets were talking about their plan in the Park. Bill eavesdropped on them.

"...first, we cause a rash of attacks outside the grass. Then, we go into the grass, use these ring and net guns to catch the Bug Pokémon. Then, we send them to HQ," said Tabitha.

"You got it!" exclaimed Courtney.

"Oh no... they're going to catch those Pokémon! I must get to Prof. Elm as soon as I get out of here! Arggh!" He tried to pull the ring off of him, but it was clamped very tightly. He knew he couldn't pull it loose, no matter how much force he applied. And his Pokémon were taken from him. He admitted defeat, and sighed. "I sure hope those three are safe."

Duncan had just caught a Spinarak, and sent it to PC. Another entry in the Pokédex.

"You know, I don't think there is any reason to..." Duncan then felt a sense of unease. "Oh no, I got a very strange feeling!"

"What?" asked Kamon.

"That something's not right!" exclaimed Crystal.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" inquired Duncan.

"I don't know. But we are indeed in serious trouble!" They then stood up and, along with Axel, scurried toward the Warden's office at the Park Entrance.

As the trainers headed towards the office, Duncan quietly opened the door, but quickly shut it. "Don't go in there! Those kidnappers are in there!"

"I guess _I _should stay out of sight then! You guys got no problems with them!"

"Yes, we do. We met them at the Slowpoke Well, and we don't want to get them into suspicion that they're being watched, so what do we do?"  
Axel cried out, "Fufushaa!" The Pokédex translated to, "Why not get someone else to battle them?"

"What the- who are you three?" asked the Warden.

"Well..." the group of many people pulled off their casual clothing to reveal Team Rocket Grunt Uniforms! Three of them had different ones though.

"You- you're Team Rocket! But- that's-"

"Impossible? We were broken up last year?" asked the redhead.

"Think again, dude! We just had a little vacation, that's all."

"You- you're one of those Drayans! B-b-but, how did you get out of prison?"

"Parole! My parents got it too! Now, Grunts, keep him there, and don't let him escape! Rest of you, come with us."

"Whitney!" exclaimed Duncan. Whitney was having a picnic with her Clefairy.

"Hi, there!"

"Look, Whitney, this is serious," said Kamon. "This Park is going to be attacked by Team Rocket, and they're looking for me, too, so we can't battle them!"

"But, why would they do that?"

"Well, I think Bill was kidnapped. I know it," said Crystal. "Oh no! Someone's coming!" Then, they all ran into the trees.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going- hey!"

"Oh, great! Just great! We can't battle them!" yelled Kamon angrily. He and Axel then ran towards the car. "Come on, guys! We can't do anything here. We can't risk our lives. The police will take care of them."

"Okay, but just, let's get ourselves out of here!" said Crystal in terror.

And so, the three trainers drove off out of the Park and to Ecruteak City.

A Venonat, a Spinarak, and a Butterfree were happily playing with each other, until metallic rings swooped down and caught them. "Just what do you think you're doing!" said Whitney incredulously.

"We're doing our job, as ordered by our Boss," said Courtney.

"Stealing Pokémon that are supposed to be caught fairly!"

"They're wild Pokémon, so it's technically not stealing," said Tabitha. "So we have every right to do this."

"Not with metal clamps or nets! You use PokéBalls! That does it! Go, Miltank! Let's teach these Rockets a lesson!"

"Moo!"

"Alright Grunts, attack!"

The Elites and Grunts called out many Pokémon, which easily overpowered the cow Pokémon. Whitney then recalled her Miltank, and ran off into the city.

"Come back here... oh well. Our mission is a success. Now we need to get Kamon," said Becky.

"I think they were here a second ago, but they probably drove off. But luckily, I put a homing device on that kid's car. No matter where he goes, we're gonna get him, dude!" said Tabitha in triumph.

"And everyone can appreciate us stirring up trouble," said Courtney.

You can run, but you can't hide, thought Becky.

After a few hours, the sun began to set. Kamon entered a crossroad with a sign saying: Goldenrod City10 Miles

Ecruteak City15 Miles

Violet City20 Miles

Azalea Town50 Miles

"Which way should we go first?" asked Kamon.

"Let's try Ecruteak City," said Crystal. "It's the closest around next to Goldenrod."

"Okay, Ecruteak it is." He then drove off to that city.

"Look, we have an uncle who lives in Cianwood City," said Duncan. "Kamon, you can stay there until our cousins finish off Team Rocket for good!"

"I think so, too," said Crystal.

"Oh man! There's some weird tree blocking the road!" exclaimed Kamon. There was some strange tree standing as a roadblock.

"So? Just drive around it," said Duncan.

"No way! Around here, it's too mountainous!"

The three trainers then exit the vehicle, and Duncan inspects the "tree" with the Pokédex. "This is no tree. It's a Sudowoodo!" He then tried to push the tree Pokémon, but it wouldn't move, almost as if it were rooted to the ground.

Kamon then had a strange idea. He heard somewhere that Sudowoodos hate water. Well, he had some – of a sort. "Go, Croc!"

The Totodile materialized from the PokéBall.

"Kamon, what are you trying to do?" asked Crystal curiously.

"I bet Sudowoodos hate water, so Croc, Water Gun!"

Croc then shot out water at the tree Pokémon. The tree didn't seem to like the water. It attacked!

"Go, Leafy!" Crystal called out the leaf Pokémon. "Razor Leaf!"

"Croc, Water Gun!"

"Kamon! Kamon! Where are you?" Norman was calling out for his nephew, who had apparently ran away due to the Team Rocket scare.

"Norman! I gotta tell you something!" Whitney was half-running to him.

"What?"

After Whitney was next to him, she told him, "Well, I met Kamon, he told me Team Rocket was after him." She then told the story about how Team Rocket broke into the house and how Kamon escaped from the city, and presumably from the Park.

"Oh no... I can't believe it. Bill was kidnapped! And they're after Kamon," said Norman in disbelief. He remembered how his brother, Giovanni, was thought to be their leader, but is he really? If so, Team Rocket might be trying to get him to join.

Bill was pushed into the detention block cell. At least the ring was off of him now, so the aches were going away. "I can't believe they took my Pokémon, too. If they do anything bad to them, I'll call the cops! And I'll even call The Color Triad! Never underestimate the League Champ Red!" But Bill had no chance of getting to a phone, and his watch showed that it was 7:45 PM. He remembered how Becky told him that the Admins would interrogate him the next day. He sighed, and lied down on the floor, shaking in fright, worrying about what would happen to him. Just because he knew Kamon didn't mean he should be confined. What did Kamon have to do with Team Rocket anyway? As he contemplated these thoughts, he dozed off.

"Yes! I caught it!" exclaimed Duncan in victory. "How did you get the idea of squirting water on it, Kamon?"

"The Pokémon Talk on TV! It gives advice for trainers," said Kamon.

And so, they continued to drive off, not knowing what will happen in Ecruteak City. By the time they arrived, night had fallen. This has been a most unusual day, thought Kamon.

We've witnessed many things, but nothing has strange as what just happened, thought Duncan.

Strange things are afoot in Johto, thought Crystal.


	8. The Legendary Pokémon

_History of Ecruteak_

_In Ecruteak City, there were two towers. They were both roosts of powerful legendary flying Pokémon. One of the towers, however, burned to the ground. The Pokémon have not been seen since. It was also home to three Pokémon racing around the town. They were said to be born of lightning, water, and fire. However, they could not retain their excessive power. And so, they are said to run like wind off into the grassland._

"Whew! What a ride," said Duncan.

"Well, we'd better stop at the Pokémon Center for the night. It's 9:00," said Kamon.

"Maybe I'll hang out at the dance theater," said Crystal. She heard that the Kimono Sisters were playing tonight.

In the Dance Theater, the Kimono Sisters were indeed on stage. "Wow! Look, Spike, not only are they great dancers, their Pokémon are too!" She then took a closer look at the Pokémon. Three of them were Vaporeon, Flareon, and Jolteon. But two others were ones she never saw before. Crystal pulled out her Pokédex, and it identified the light one as Espeon, and the dark one as Umbreon. "These must be two new 'Eeveelutions'," said Crystal. Spike stared right at the amazing show, of lightning, fire, and water, as well as light and darkness. The spike ball Pokémon thought, Isn't that dangerous? I could be attacked, and I'm too small and weak. Crystal then yelled out loud, "You girls are wonderful! All that rigorous training pays off!"

One of the women, named Sayo, who was wearing a blue kimono, replied, "We always dance with our Pokémon."

"But of course, you always train them. So, I'd like to battle you all! Without my friends to help me!"

"As you wish," said Sayo.

Duncan decided to go to the Gym. But it was closed. Ben was there, and he said, "Morty's off to the Burned Tower, Duncan. Try going there first."

"Dunc, I think we'll have to come back tomorrow."

"Let's just to the Burned Tower," said Duncan. "Thanks, Ben!"

"No problemo!"

The two trainers headed to the Burned Tower, which was right behind the Gym. The Tower was the remnants of a tall tower. The roof had been burned off. "Wait, Dunc! Don't go in there!"

Kamon read the sign, which said, "This tower was destroyed in a mysterious fire. Please stay away, as it is unsafe."

"Look, we've been in unsafe situations before. This is no different."

"Whatever you say, dude. Axel, I think you'd better stay in your PokéBall. This could be dangerous," Kamon told the Persian, and recalled it into its PokéBall.

As the two boys entered the tower, they were greeted by a familiar looking man in a purple jumpsuit and cape. "My name's Eusine."

"Eusine," said Duncan. "I've heard of you."

"I'm searching for a Pokémon called Suicune."

"Oh," said Kamon. "Good luck with that, there's no catching it!"

"And you are...?"

"I'm Duncan Caliduct."

"Kamon Stelldox."

"Glad to meet you!" exclaimed Eusine. "I've heard that Suicune is in this burned tower, so I came to look. But where is it?"

"Morty!" yelled Kamon. A young man with a blue headband was next to Eusine.

"Suicune is just one of the three legendaries. The others are Entei, and Raikou."

Kamon and Duncan searched through the tower. Then ten minutes later, they were back. Kamon gruffly said, "There's nothing hidden here. After all Eusine's _trouble_," he poked Eusine, "coming to this dump! Face it, it's a mystery, and it's always gonna be a mystery!"

"Look, I just wanted to see it..."

"You can't catch legendaries." Suddenly, the floor gave way. Duncan fell through. "Hey, wait! What's going on? Oh no! I think Dunc was killed! Crystal's gonna kill me, too!"

"Agh! Oomph!" Duncan landed on the hard floor. It was a miracle he survived that one, but with bruises. "Hey, guys! I'm alive!" he yelled from the floor.

"It's okay! He's alive!" exclaimed Kamon.

"I'm- I'm in another room! Kamon, Morty, Eusine, jump down here! I survived, and so should you!"

Eusine called out Pidgeot, who flew him down the pit. The bird then flew Morty and Kamon down, too.

"What the- What is that?" inquired Kamon. He pointed at some statues of legendary Pokémon. They were statues, and they didn't seem to come to life. Duncan then took a step forward, and the statues came to life!

"Guys, stay back," said Eusine.

Morty took a photo of the legendaries, to give to Eusine. One of the Pokémon ran off. The other two stood closely at Duncan and Kamon, with piercing gazes. "We have found them... descendents of the Heroes," said the Entei.

Eusine stood in awe and shock. "For ten years, I have searched for Suicune, and I finally have seen it."

Morty added, "Entei and Raikou stood very close to you. They've tested their loyalty to Chosen Humans."

"But where'd Suicune go?"

"Suicune will appear on your journey. He will wait for the third one."

"Crystal," said Kamon.

"Yes," said Raikou.

"Duncan, here is your Badge, the Fog Badge!"

Duncan and Kamon woke up. It was still night. "Kamon, what happened?"

"Dude, we've had a strange dream of meeting Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. Suicune said that Crystal is one of the Chosen Humans."

"Come on, Kamon, it's just a dream."

"A very vivid one," said Kamon, astonished. Axel stood in shock. Kamon has had a dream! After all these years of non-believing, it happened!

"All right, Naoko! I defeated you!"

The crowd broke into cheers of enjoyment.

Zuki, one of the Kimono Sisters, told Crystal, "I want you to have this." She handed her HM03. Surf! Pokémon can swim! And so, Crystal ran out of the door, and into the Pokémon Center.

In their room, Kamon was ghost-faced while Duncan was trying to convince him that what happened in the Burnt Tower was just a dream.

"Crystal, if our dreams weren't enough, the Fog Badge is on the desk!" said Kamon. On the desk, there was the Badge!

"Morty probably gave it to us for good luck," said Crystal.

"Look, let's forget about the dream, and continue on with our quest. We gotta get to Uncle Chuck!"

And so, the three trainers went to sleep. Kamon shook in terror. What if Team Rocket was still after him?


	9. The Sick Pokémon

Next to the Fog Badge was a note. Duncan picked it up and read, "Thank you for helping Eusine find Suicune. For this, I give you the Fog Badge."

"Hey, that was nice of him," said Duncan. That was the second badge that they got without battling. And they were halfway through the Gym Challenge!

Crystal climbed up into bed, and told the boys, "Good night, guys! Good night, Spikey. I'll wake you up in the morning."

"Good night, Crystal," said Kamon. "Axel, good night." This has been a most unusual day, he thought.

"Ah! A new day for Pokémon Adventuring!" exclaimed Kamon, as he awakened. Axel jumped off the bed. They all had the events from last night relating to Burned Tower purged from their minds. All they remembered was that Crystal got the Surf HM, and Morty gave Duncan the Fog Badge as a momento.

A half-hour later, they were driving down Route 38, with no Pokémon as stand-ins for roadblocks this time around. As they entered Route 39, however, they noticed that the toll road was closed. "What? The road's closed? Now, Team Rocket's gonna get us for sure," stressed Crystal, shakily. Spike cried out in confusion. "Okay, so Team Rocket's..." she continued on to Spike. Kamon, Duncan, and Axel exit the car.

"Why's the toll road closed?" Duncan asked the proprietor of the farm.

"My Miltank ain't givin' me milk n'more. We 'ere got famous milk."

"And that's why the road's closed?" Kamon asked, in disbelief.

"'Fraid so. Musta been that criminal gang or somethin'... Team Pocket, er, Socket..."

"Team Rocket," Duncan corrected.

"Dat's it! Dey musta infected my Pokémon or something. I reckon Berries will cure that Miltank."

Axel meowed in agreement. The Pokédex translated his meows to, "I can go and get those Berries."

"Great, Axel," said Duncan in relief. "I'll stay in the car with Crystal, while you and Kamon collect the Berries around!"

Axel and Kamon came into the barn. Kamon had his arms full of Berries while Axel had a Berry Bag filled with more on his back. Kamon looked at the sick Miltank. Its cry was weak, and Kamon gave three Berries to the cow. It became a bit healthier, and its moos were stronger. Kamon then gave six more Berries. It became completely healthy!

The owner's wife came into the barn and praised Kamon for his actions. "You saved us, hon. Now the road's open again, and you can just drive over to Olivine City!"

"See ya later, kids!"

The car drove through the road, and off to Olivine City.

"Here we are, Olivine City," said Duncan. "The closest port to foreign lands."

"Maybe we can get a ride to Cianwood City," said Kamon.

"First, let's go to the Gym!" exclaimed Crystal.

The Gym was steel-plated inside. The entire building was made of steel. But there was no one inside, except for the ever-appearing Ben. "Hey Kris! Jasmine's at the Lighthouse, tending to a sick Pokémon."

"A strong trainer needs to be compassionate," said Crystal. "So it's only a good thing to take care of a sick friend."

"How'd it go?" asked Duncan. They were at the Pokémon Center.

"She wasn't there. Jasmine's off at the Lighthouse, taking care of the sick Pokémon."

"Let it go. We can't waste time with your Gym Challenge, we've got more important problems," said Kamon.

"But, Kamon," pleaded Duncan. "With that Pokémon being sick, it can't act as the beacon for the Lighthouse, making it dangerous to travel the sea at night. And we might not get to Cianwood by then."

"Well, fine. But Crystal and I are staying here."

"Whatever you say."

Duncan used his PokéGear to find his way through the small town. Then he made his way to the Lighthouse. It was bigger than he expected. As he entered, he saw that it was a shrinking spiral ascending to the top. "It's going to be a long trip," he said to himself.

Bill was still being held captive by Team Rocket. It had been a day and there was still no word from the Leader. Where is that person? Suddenly, he was worried about his friends, and hoped for the best that they're safe. Suddenly, the door opened. "Come with me, Bill." The person was a female redhead, not the Elite who kidnapped him, but an older woman, presumably 43. She wore a dark purple business-suit type uniform with a small red "R" on the left corner of the shirt.

"Hello, William Microbyte. How's prison?" The male Admin, Conner Drayan, asked him. The room was a typical business office.

"Bad. What am I doing here in the first place?" asked Bill. He wanted to be released, and inform all of Kanto and Johto about Team Rocket's return.

"You know Kamon Stelldox, right?" asked the redhead, named Sandy Drayan.

"Who? I don't know what you're talking about," Bill sarcastically remarked.

"Sarcasm is not allowed here," said Conner sternly.

"Tell us the truth," said Sandy. "We're just curious."

"Yes... I know him. He's a neighbor of me."

"Tell us this... where is he off to?" asked Conner.

"He said not to tell anyone."

"Where is he off to?" asked Conner again, getting slightly impatient.

"Bite me."

"Where is he off to?" asked Sandy angrily, losing her patience.

Bill sighed, whining out, "Cianwood City! There! I told you!"

"See, Conner? Friends of Kamon can be helpful," said Sandy, tone returning to normal.

"Thank you, Bill! Now, would you like to join Team Rocket?"

"What? Are you crazy?" Bill thought that the Leader would be someone named Giovanni, but what was his last name? He wasn't at all expecting some Team Rocket Admin named Conner Drayan.

"This Pokémon always kept the sea lit at night. But, it got sick somehow, and it's gasping for air!" Jasmine said in dismay.

"Hey, Moomoo Farm suffered the same thing. I have a strange feeling it's linked to Team Rocket," said Duncan, somberly. "But I heard that Cianwood City has a great Pharmacy."

"But that's across the sea, and I can't leave Amphy here alone!"

"I'm already on my way there, but we're going there for refuge from Team Rocket. My friend is being stalked by them, and we want to stay at a safe place until those Rockets are defeated again."

"Well, then, if you'll go to Cianwood City, I'll give you the Mineral Badge." She handed Duncan a badge shaped like a steel-colored octagon. "Good luck!"

"Hey, there, kids! Welcome to Olivine Cafe!" said a sailor. "May I take your order? Our menu's full of food for you beefy kids!"

"Uh, did he say, 'beefy'?" asked Crystal.

"Never mind that," said Kamon. "Sure. I'd like the Magikarp Supreme."

Ew, who'd want to eat a Pokémon? Then again, Magikarps aren't exactly endangered, so it didn't matter. "And I'll have the, uh... " she was trying to find something without any meat in it. "...Tofu Soup."

Crystal sure likes the tofu. After a few minutes, their food arrived. "Here you go, Spike," Crystal gave Spike a piece of tofu. The spike ball then munched down on the chunk of tofu.

"Here you go, Axel, a piece of fish," Kamon handed a chunk of Magikarp meat to Axel, who then politely ate up the piece of meat. "Better than the food at the Pokémon Center."

Duncan then entered the cafe. "Hey, guys! Jasmine gave me the Mineral Badge as a momento for traveling to Cianwood. We should start now." Duncan checked his PokéGear. "It's 12:30 PM."

Kamon asked, "Can we take a ship there?"

"Sure, Kamon,":said Crystal."Let's go to the seaport!"

At the Seaport, they saw Chuck exiting a boat. "Uncle Chuck! It's us, Duncan and Crystal!" the two trainers yelled out to their uncle.

"Hey kids! You look flabby! You haven't worked out much, lately." Chuck then said aside, "I can't believe Roger is all about computers and machines." It's surprising to see how he and Lisa raised these kids. Dunc's the nerd, but he looks more like a trainer now with his red windbreaker, black and orange shorts, and yellow-and-black hat. Crystal dyed her hair green. They must really be dedicated to their adventure.

"Look, Mr. Caliduct..."

"Call me Chuck."

"Okay, Chuck, look, we need to take refuge in Cianwood City."

"But I just got here to head to Olivine Cafe..."

"We've got take-out," said Duncan. "Magikarp Supreme."

"Those fish may be the weakest in the world, but they taste great! Sure, I'll take all you three on a little trip..."

A few hours later...

"That was pretty intense," said Kamon. At least Team Rocket wouldn't get to him now.

"No wonder it's called 'A Port Surrounded By Rough Seas'." said Crystal, who was a bit more used to roughness.

Crystal checked her PokéGear. It was 5:52 PM. "Just in time, too. It's getting dark."

"Let's book into a Pokémon Center," said Duncan.

Chuck yelled, "Wait! Just where do think you're going! You're staying with _me_ as payment for me sailing you all the way here!" He then pulled out his cellphone and called his brother Roger. "Hey, Roger geek!"

"Uh, well, hello, Chuck."

"Hey, Duncan and Crystal are here with their friend."

"They reached Cianwood? That's great. I should go there soon."

"See ya later, Roger."

"Aunt Louise?"

"Yes, Crystal?"

"I'm worried about Amphy at the Lighthouse. With it being sick, we don't have any source of protection from danger in the sea."

"The Lighthouse Pokémon is ill?"

"Yeah, I think Team Rocket poisoned it."

"That's too bad." Louise then searched through the cupboards of various herbs and medicine.

Duncan slouched on the couch, and turned on the TV. "This just in! Bill Microbyte, known for his huge Pokémon collection and known as the inventor of the Pokémon Storage System, has been kidnapped by three people who broke into the house of Norman Stelldox."

Kamon screamed in fright. "Bill's been kidnapped by Team Rocket!"

"No wonder they're more dangerous than before," said Duncan worriedly.

"Hey, kids, you gotta face your fears someday," said Chuck. "No running away from them."

"But, they're much more powerful than us. And smarter," said Crystal hesitantly. Spike shook in horror.

Chuck's wife, Louise, said, "And I don't want you three to end up involved with Team Rocket."

"Hey, Chuck!"

"Yeah, Duncan?"

"I want to battle you for the Storm Badge!"

"All right, wimp. You beat me, I give you the Storm Badge."

"Deal!"

"Okay, Crystal, here it is, the Secret Potion. I only use it in an emergency. I'll mail it to Jasmine right away."

"All right, boys, you prepared to meet your doom?" asked Chuck menacingly.

"Yes... sir." said Duncan.

"My Pokémon will crush rocks and break bones! Watch this!" Chuck then lifted up a giant boulder, straining as he tossed it to the wall, denting it, as well as the floor. Duncan and Kamon shivered in fear. "Scared now, are you?"  
"That's got nothing to do with Pokémon," bluntly said Kamon.

"That's right, kiddo! We shall battle! Go, Primeape and Poliwrath!"

"Go, Ember!" The Quilava materialized from the PokéBall.

"Go, Croc!" The Croconaw appeared. It had somehow evolved. Kamon wondered how this happened. "Wait! You're not a Totodile anymore! What happened?"

"Count yourself lucky, Kamon!" exclaimed Chuck.

"Ember, Flamethrower!"

"Croc, Surf!"

Back in Olivine City, the three Rockets searched Kamon's car. They had also searched the whole city. But no Kamon. "It's no use," admitted Courtney. "We're failures." She embraced Tabitha, who was shocked to see her upset.

"Look, Courtney," said Becky. "They might have gotten to Cianwood City. And luckily, we've got our Hypno to teleport us there." She called out the hypnosis Pokémon, which dangled a small pendant. "All right, Hypno, Teleport us to Cianwood City."

The psychic Pokémon followed orders, and shot beams of psychic at the three Rockets, causing them to vanish. It then faded away, as well.

"All right, ladies. We're that close to finding Kamon," remarked Tabitha. They were next to Chuck's house, and hid in the bushes so as not to be seen. "Say, Becky, how'd you know he'd be here?"

"I tracked his friends' PokéGears. And so, I thought, if we follow those Caliducts, we find Kamon, because they very well may be guarding him."

"It's just a matter of time," assured Courtney.

"Wha? Huh? I lost? Well, you're worthy of the Storm Badge after all, Duncan! Here you go!" He handed his nephew a badge shaped like a fist. "Well, I enjoyed battling you. You're not a weakling after all! You know a lot about Pokémon. Karl - no – _Red, _must be your inspiration!"

Duncan sighed. He couldn't continue on with the challenge. Team Rocket was still out there. "Look, Uncle Chuck, I think we're gonna stay with you for a while," said Duncan.

"Fine with me," said Chuck. "And from now on, I'm going to train for twenty-four hours a day!" he lamented.

"Hey, Chuck, that's not even possible," said Kamon. "You're going to need sleep."

"You just wait!"


	10. Kidnapped!

"In honor of my nephew, Duncan Caliduct, successfully defeating me and earning the Storm Badge, he will, from here on, be known as Gold! And in honor of his friend, Kamon Stelldox, he is now known henceforth as Silver!" exclaimed Chuck, in the Gym. Various Black-Belts were all stationed together for the ceremony, as they cheered.

"Excellent! Silver sounds a lot better than Kamon," cried Kamon. It fit in, with his silver-gray eyes. "I like it, dude!"

"Finally, no one's going to make fun of me because of my name anymore," said Duncan. He was relieved that he had been given a less-embarrassing name. But he had dark-blue eyes, not golden eyes. He was unsure why Chuck gave him that name. Was it because gold symbolized intelligence? If so, then that would fit him!

"Wait! Uncle Chuck! What about me?" whined Crystal. Boys have all the fun, she thought.

"You can still be known as Crystal," said Chuck. "It fits you well. I suggested it when you were born! Ha-ha!"

For Crystal, this seemed appropriate. Crystal was just Crystal; her crystal-blue eyes showed it. "And we're the Mineral Triad!" the three trainers all cried out in unison.

---

Kamon and Crystal lay sprawled out on the beach. The waves were rolling calmly, reflected by the full moon's radiant light. In the dark, jet-black sky, billions of small dots were scattered. Axel, sitting on Kamon's lap, watched the waves hypnotically. They stirred in the Persian's mind. Spike, sitting on Crystal's lap, stared up at the stars in amazement.

"You know, Crystal, I really like nights at the beach. They're just so... romantic."

"Silver, I couldn't have said it better myself. You're really sweet."

"So are you." Kamon stared at Crystal, smiling

---

The full moon portended dangerous times, however, as Team Rocket had followed Crystal and Kamon from Chuck's house all the way to Cianwood Beach.

"Ok, here's the plan. I fire a tranquilizer at that girl, then we ambush Kamon!" exclaimed Tabitha. It's all too easy. He pulled out a tranquilizer gun from his knapsack. "Let's go crazy!"

---

"Well! This cat they're talking about, I wonder who could it be?" Chuck was taking a shower, and singing to the Capitols' "Cool Jerk". Duncan recorded Chuck's singing with a tape recorder.

"Cause they know, I'm, the heaviest cat, the heaviest cat you ever did see. Women see me walkin' down the street, none of the fellas want to speak. Oh hey hey, on their faces, they wear a silly smirk, 'cause they know I'm the king of the coooool jerrrrrk!"

Chuck then noticed Duncan, opened the curtain a tad, and shouted, "Get outta here, you nosy pervert, or I'll punch you crazy!" Duncan gasped, and slammed the door behind him.

---

"You know, Silver, when you're this far away from the city lights, the sky is beautiful."

"So are you, Crystal," said Kamon.

"All right, you little girl, you're just going to be out for a little bit..." Tabitha aimed the tranquilizer gun at Crystal, and fired.

"Maybe one day, we can head out for- AUGH!" A sharp pain seared at Crystal's shoulder, as she winced in pain. Losing all senses, she passed out, and Spike jumped out of her lap, trying to run to Chuck's house.

"Night-night, Caliduct," said Courtney.

Axel hissed in anger. "What do you think you're doing?" inquired Kamon furiously.

"Dude, you're coming with us," said Tabitha.

"No way!" yelled Kamon, as he and Axel stumbled up. Kamon pulled out a PokéBall, and commanded, "Axel, come back!" Then, he took off to Chuck's house, which was a mile away. Kamon wasn't sure if he could get there fast enough.

"Go, Machamp! Don't let him escape!" Becky called out the muscular, four-armed human-shaped Pokémon. It ran furiously after Kamon, who felt his heart pounding, and grabbed him!

"Help! Help! Help!"

"Great work, Machamp." Becky recalled the muscle Pokémon, and grabbed Kamon, who felt sore and stiff all over due to the pressure given by Machamp. Becky called out Hypno, who teleported them back to Olivine City. Then the Rockets locked him into the back of a getaway car.

Great. Just great. "I can't believe this. Crystal and her brother come to my door, and tell me I have to escape. Then, we reach National Park, which just _happens_ to be next on their hit list! _Then_, we head off to Cianwood City, where they _still_ find me!" Kamon yelled out in anger. "Oh, man, I need a Tylenol," Kamon then said, calming down.

---

"SILVER! Where are you?" Crystal cried out, sobbing. All that remained was his keys. She had awakened from the effects from the tranquilizer, and quickly pulled the syringe off her shoulder to prevent any more pain. Man, did that hurt! "Someone's kidnapped Kamon, Axel, and... where's Spike!" She grabbed the keys, and hobbled to Chuck's house, still slightly numb from the tranquilizer's effects.

"What? Team Rocket got here?" Chuck asked in disbelief. "They must have tracked us!" Louise and Duncan gasped in shock.

Crystal nodded hesitantly. She just wanted to go home. "They kidnapped Silver, Axel, and Spike!"

"Spike's right here," said Duncan. He flashed the shock-ridden Togepi.

Louise shivered in terror. Those terrible Rockets! It's not like them to take interest in people and not their Pokémon. What will happen to that boy?

"Come on in here, Spike," ordered Crystal. She tossed a PokéBall at the Togepi. "It's for your own safety."

Early next morning, Chuck had taken the two trainers back to Olivine City. Duncan and Crystal were still tired, because they got only four hours of sleep. "Ok, Uncle Chuck, Silver parked here." Duncan showed Chuck Kamon's car at the harbor. "Maybe we can go to Mahogany Town and get help there!"

"Great idea, Gold! I like your intellect."

"But, we're not going to _steal_ it, are we?" inquired Crystal. She was never one to break the law for any reason.

"Look, sometimes you have to break the law to save the world! Besides, it's quicker than walking, and it's an emergency. Not to mention, it's his car, and I know for a fact he'd prefer that it not fall into the wrong hands."

"Oh... Ok," groaned Duncan.

"Now let's get moving! Keys, Crystal." Crystal handed Chuck Kamon's keys. They all entered the car and drove off to Mahogany Town.

Crystal was worried. "I thought we were free of Team Rocket forever. But it seems... we must go..." Crystal grimaced, "to... their hideout!" And this wouldn't be like last time. Last time, Blue got locked up for intrusion, but Red and Green saved him, and they easily defeated the Team Rocket Admins. Just a cakewalk. But this time around, they may have become more deadly. This was probably going to require more manpower (and Poképower) than they already had.

---

By dawn, Jasmine searched through the mail, somberly watching Amphy weaken. It wouldn't be long before the Ampharos stopped working completely, and Death would be greeting it. Suddenly, she saw a package from "Charles Caliduct". That name sounded familiar. The Gym Leader of Cianwood City! "So that boy was Chuck's nephew!" She opened it up, and there was a secret potion inside!

It was labeled, "Caliduct's Emergency Potion. Only for use with poison that an ordinary Antidote cannot cure." Could this cure Amphy? Only one way to find out! She sucked up the contents with a syringe, and then injected the potion into the Ampharos.

"Palu! Palulu!" It became healthier! A miracle!

"Wonderful!" Jasmine was flooded with tears of happiness, as she ran out of the Lighthouse. "Now, I can get back to battling Pokémon Trainers and handing out Mineral Badges!"

"Mr. Pyrolic, you can get back to giving trainer advice for battling me!"

"Thanks, Jasmine! But I'd better get to Mahogany Town. Those kids need me!" He then ran out the door, and headed off on his way to Mahogany Town.

"Bye, Ben!" Ben Pyrolic must be a busy man. Not only is he the Gym doorman, he's also the DJ for Pokémon Music. It was amazing that he can travel throughout Kanto and Johto but still be back in time for his radio show.

Chuck drove through Route 42, and just before they entered Mahogany Town, Chuck told the two trainers to exit the vehicle. "Don't worry about this car, I'll drive it back to Goldenrod," he assured them. "And I won't tell Silver's uncle about his kidnapping! He'll be worried sick!"

"Wait! Uncle Chuck," shouted Duncan. "Aren't you coming with us?"  
"Kids," said Chuck, "You're on your own from here on."

Duncan sighed. He wasn't sure if he could continue on. But they headed off to the entrance to Mahogany Town.

Kamon was pushed into the cell. It was made up of mainly metal. Kamon couldn't see any means of escaping, and knew that there was no possibility of doing so at this time, But he did find, "Bill!" The familiar school-kid.

"Hey, Kamon!"

"You can call me Silver now. Chuck gave me that nickname."

"Okay, Silver," approved Bill. "Now, I'll tell you this. Team Rocket was looking for you!"

"Yeah," said Kamon somberly. "Guess I learned that the hard way. I wonder how Gold and Crystal are doing."

"They're probably looking for you," said Bill. Kamon thought, Maybe it was just as well. Crystal would go through great lengths to rescue him, even if it meant sacrifices. That didn't matter, she just wanted to make sure that he was safe from any potentional peril.

---

A/N: I just amended this chapter by adding Chuck singing "Cool Jerk" in the shower, and Gold recording it. I was just watching Home Alone 2, and that part just got stuck in my head. I did this because this will be used in chapter 15, and because I wanted a little humor in this story.


	11. Something's Fishy at Mahogany Town

As Duncan and Crystal entered through the town gates, a group of shady people stopped them. A redhead woman, whose name was (unknown to Duncan and Crystal) Sandy, ordered the two trainers, "Stay where you are, kids, or we'll attack." Sandy then took a better look at them. Crystal gulped. "You're the ones involved in stopping the Slowpoke heist."

Crystal nodded, scared. Spike was scared too. Duncan was confused. Had those Rockets told someone around here of what happened a few days ago?

"Well, understand this: we don't need 'hero' trainers around here. Do I make myself clear?" The trainers didn't respond. Sandy then enunciated, "Do I make myself clear?"  
"We understand," said Duncan. Somehow, he had a weird feeling Karl and Hadley met this person before.

"Good. Just remember to obey the rules of this town. The first rule: don't be a hero! Leave everything to our guards!"

"Ok, fine," said Duncan. What was wrong with this place? This had changed ever since they visited Lake of Rage a few months ago. The town was peaceful and bustling. Now, there were barely any people around. Shops were closed up, and the open places were run-down. Crystal looked around in worry. "Well, Kris, I guess we'd better go over to that hotel over there." He pointed to a sign called, "The Red Gyarados Inn". It had a picture of a red Gyarados.

"Well, okay," agreed Crystal reluctantly. "Might as well."

---

"Kamon Stelldox?"

"Yeah, that's me," answered Kamon, still half-asleep.

"Come with me," said Sandy. As they left the cell and entered the hallway, Kamon was worried. What was he here for? Why did he get taken away from his friends? He tried to hide his worry. Sandy didn't seem to pay any attention, as she inserted a security card into an automated door. The card reader flashed with green, digital letters, "Access Granted."

We've got a guest!" exclaimed Sandy. Kamon was confused. He had no part in the Slowpoke scheme (compliments to Duncan and Crystal), nor did he have any connection to the National Park scheme.

"Great job, Sandy!" exclaimed a man who appeared to be slightly older than Kamon's uncle – probably around forty-five years old. He was clean-shaven, and professional looking in his clothing. Kamon felt slightly uncomfortable. "Kamon, we know how you feel, and we know your dad!"

Kamon was surprised. "What? No way, it's not possible." These are Dad's friends?

"It's true, Kamon! We'll talk to you about everything," said Sandy. Kamon thought, so these are my dad's friends...

---

Of all the seedy places in the world, Duncan had to walk in this one! A hush comes over at the bar, as people eyed him and Crystal sullenly. The bartender remarked, "Will you look what crawled in here? That girl's had her head into the grass so long, her hair's gone green!" The crowd laughed hysterically. Duncan chuckled a bit, but Crystal said nothing. One day, I've got to wash off the hair dye, she thought.

An old man in a wheelchair retorted to the bartender, "Now, Bernie, let's not give these kids the wrong opinion about the hospitality of Mahogany Town.

Oh, I've got a pretty good idea, thought Duncan.

"Okay, I won't make any more fun of them, Pryce." Duncan and Crystal were surprised. That's Pryce!

"Now, kids, come on over here, sit down, and let's have a little chat, hmm?"

The two trainers looked at each other in bedazzlements, and then trotted over to the table Pryce was sitting at.

"You kids look like trainers with a mission. I like that."

"Yeah," agreed Duncan. "Our friend's been kidnapped by Team Rocket, and we're trying to find someone to help us."

"But remember, there's depths to the changes of the city," warned Pryce. "Don't change things too quickly. But I'm rambling on... anyway, how about a drink in honor of our new relationship?"

Duncan didn't drink, but he didn't want to be rude. "It sounds good. What's available?"

"There's Tohjoan Coffee, and Gyarados Sling."

"I'll have coffee," said Crystal cautiously.

"I'll have the Sling," said Duncan bravely.

Crystal drank the bitter, thick liquid. It had an odd, almost chemical taste. Crystal gagged in disgust. But it wasn't the worst coffee she drank. Spike wouldn't like it either. Duncan, however, decided not to drink the Sling. It might make him feel like he had been thrown off the back of a Gyarados. And it may taste even worse than the coffee.

"Since you're here, why don't you head off to the Lake of Rage?" inquired Pryce. "We will reserve a room for you two, but remember to return here by dark, as it is illegal to travel after dark. This evening, we will talk more with the governor of Kanto."

"Sounds good, Pryce," said Crystal, forgetting that Kamon was probably in danger. "Maybe we can catch the daily Magikarp." She remembered how she saw the lake overflowing with thousands of them. But they needed to get Kamon. Is Team Rocket's hideout somewhere around there? Are they holding him there? These questions burned in Duncan's mind.

---

Kamon was surprised. "WHAT? That's not possible!" His dad, Giovanni, was the leader of Team Rocket! Why did Kamon wander so far from home?

Conner agreed, "That's right, Kamon. Your dad's off training, but he'll return one day."

"And resume power," added Sandy. Kamon was too shocked to utter a word. "I'll take you to your room and you can settle for a while."

Oh man, what a week. This has been a most unusual week.

In the room, Kamon found Axel on the bed, just like at home. Kamon then grew worried. Uncle Norman must be worried sick! He then headed up on the bed, and sighed. He reached into his bag and pulled out his Nintendo DS, inserted Mario Kart DS, and played away. He always wanted to unlock the Mirror Mode.

Duncan and Crystal traveled through the desolate city. Many of the routes were boarded up, with signs such as: "This Street closed by order of Conner Drayan!"

"But why would they close it down for no reason?" asked Crystal.

"Maybe they're just greedy." That name sounded familiar though. As they entered the gate to the Lake of Rage, they were stopped by two shady men.

"Hold it there, kids!"

"Whoa, you startled us," said Duncan.

"The toll is $50 to go through," said one man.

"Hmm. Guess not, then," said Crystal. They exit the building. "Gold, I got a weird feeling about this."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Crystal then whispered to Duncan, "How do we know those guys aren't with Team Rocket? They charged us $50 for admission. I thought it was free."

"Ah. So something strange is going on there!"

"So, should we fork over the money?"

"Sure. That way, no one will get suspicious of us in there." They entered the building. "Sure, guys. Here you go." He handed one of the men a $50 bill.

"Thank you very much!" exclaimed the man.

As they entered the Lake of Rage, they saw not what they expected. Instead of the Magikarp overflow, there was a Gyarados overflow! The atrocious Pokémon were long, blue, legless creatures with giant mouths. "Wait! Look over there, Gold!"

"What is it?"

"There!" She pointed towards one of the Gyarados'. It was red instead of blue. "That's strange. It's... red." A giant ray of thunder flew towards the red Gyarados, shocking and paralyzing it. Then, a black PokéBall with yellow stripes flew towards it. "Wow! Someone caught that Gyarados!"

Duncan found a small red scale on the ground, presumably from the Gyarados. He picked it up.

"This lake is filled with Gyarados'. I don't see a single Magikarp at all," said the trainer who caught it. That man looked familiar... it was the former Elite Four Leader, Lance Envimorph! But now he was the governor of Kanto. What was he doing here in Johto?

"Hey, Lance!" shouted Crystal. Spike cheered for excitement. Though he had never seen Lance before, he heard Crystal tell him all about that dragon master.

It's Duncan and Crystal Caliduct! Your relatives told me all about you," said Lance. He then whispered to them, "I'm here to help you save your friend."

"How?" asked Crystal.

"I had just gotten info that Team Rocket set up a secret hideout here. If we find it, we can enter it, and stop their plan!"

"But Lance, I don't think that's a good idea," said Duncan. "They've probably got better security than last time, and they may be more powerful!"

"Then that's a risk we'll have to take!" exclaimed Lance. "Now let's head back to the Inn!"

---

"As I told you before, Team Rocket is somewhere in Lake of Rage," Lance told Duncan and Crystal.

"We know," said Duncan.

Pryce then told them, "Those fish are being forced to evolve, presumably from radio signals being broadcast around the town."

"All right, it causes interference with other electronics," said Duncan. "This would mean that people would be unable to use satellite TV."

"Right," said Lance.

---

That evening, Duncan turned on the radio. But the sound that came out was scratchy and fuzzy. Crystal tried to turn on the TV, but it was mostly static. The pictures and sounds were woozy and distorted. "You mean this inn uses satellite instead of cable?" she said incredulously. She changed the channels, but they too were having the same problems.

"That's right! Any wireless communication is being interfered with by those radio signals! That includes satellites, Wi-Fi, and cellphones!"

"So here, we'll have to make do with wired electronics."

"That's right, Crystal."


	12. Entering the Hideout

"Well, Gold?" Lance asked Duncan and Crystal. They were in the cafeteria of the inn.

"I knew it! Some radio signal is being broadcast around here," said Duncan.

Crystal added, "And it's causing problems with wireless electronics!" How would she be able to watch MTV?

Duncan thought, how would I be able to watch the Tohjo Times? Or anything broadcast outside here?

"And what about those sick Pokémon?" Lance inquired.

Duncan replied, "Team Rocket must have done it. I know it!"

"We'll get to it immediately," said Lance.

---

Sandy showed Kamon and Bill the lab. There were various test-tubes, complex machines with lights flashing on and off, and computers. Scientists were working on various experiments. "This is where we conduct all experiments. This is Ross Gideon." The Rocket Admin introduced the scientist to Kamon.

"Hi, Kamon. You're Giovanni's kid, aren't you?"

"Yes, Mr. Gideon, that's him," said Sandy.

Kamon sighed. "Yeah, man, I guess so..."

"You're related to a criminal leader?" Bill was surprised. He knew a lot about Kamon, but never knew that he was a criminal leader's son.

Gideon then said assuredly, "Don't worry, Kamon, you'll accept it one day. Your dad will be back here soon."

Sandy then told Kamon, "So make yourself at home, and feel free to talk to me or Conner if you have any questions." She then headed out of the room.

Mom, I really miss you, Kamon thought to himself, looking down at his Silver Wing necklace.

---

Lance, Duncan, and Crystal traveled deep through the grassy forest with Lance holding a lantern, being very careful not to run into any guards, who may be lurking around. The full moon loomed over the horizon. Duncan used his PokéGear to track down the radio signal. "It's coming from somewhere... over... there!" He pointed to a clearing in the forest. As they entered the clearing, they saw a small cabin.

"That's where Silver's being held?" Crystal asked in disbelief. This couldn't be possible.

"I expected the place to be a bit bigger," said Duncan. "But the PokéGear is beeping _very_ loudly and quickly here!"

Crystal then knocked on the door. There was no answer. The door was locked, too. Spike tried looking in the mail slot, but didn't find anyone in there, luckily.

"Ember, smash the door down!" Crystal and Spike quickly ducked out of the way. He called out the Quilava, which rammed full-body into the door, slamming it down. "Great job, Ember!" They gave a high-five.

As they entered the cabin, they noticed that it was dull and empty, save for a chair precariously placed in the middle of the room. "There's no way Team Rocket's hideout is right here," said Duncan.

"It might be hidden," said Lance, still believing that the hideout was in this cabin.

"Maybe we could sit down here and think..." Crystal sat down on the chair, Spike in her arms, but it tipped over, bumping her head, and Spike screeched.

"Hey! There's a trapdoor here," shouted Duncan.

"Quiet, or someone might hear," whispered Lance. "You're right. Let's go down the stairs."

"Should we split up?" asked Duncan.

"If we're splitting up, I'm not going alone! I'm going with you, and/or Lance," declared Crystal.

"Okay, we'll all go together," agreed Lance.

---

As they entered down the staircase, what welcomed them was a long hallway. Chrome walls, chrome floor, and Persian statues adorned the hall. The three trainers could see their reflections in the mirror-like, waxed floor and walls.

"No one seems to be here," said Duncan. "It looks safe to continue on from this point."

He and Crystal then headed into the hallway, but as they passed two statues, a faint, but audible alarm rang. "An alarm! They detected us!" shouted Lance. He quickly grabbed Duncan and Crystal, and they heard footsteps getting closer. "Get out of here, and I'll take care of them." Duncan and Crystal then headed back up the stairs, as two grunts reached Lance.

"Hey! An intruder! Not so fast, pal," yelled Hans Sontial, one of the grunts.

"There's no escape, cape-man! You're coming with _us!_" exclaimed Hans' brother Franz Sontial, the other grunt.

"I'm Lance Envimorph, the governor of Kanto! Bow down to me!" ordered Lance malevolently.

"Not a chance, pal! Go, Drowzee," ordered Hans.

"Go, Grimer!" ordered Franz.

"Go, Dragonite and Kingdra!" ordered Lance.

---

Duncan and Crystal heard the battle. It sounded like Lance was winning! "Two Team Rocket Grunts can't compete to a master trainer," said Duncan.

---

Hans bowed down in defeat. "Dang, we failed..."

Franz told Lance, "There are laser beams between the Pokémon statues. You'll keep getting attacked unless you step over the beam. And they're hidden!" The grunts then ran off into the hallway. Lance knew what would cause the beams to be visible... smoke!

Suddenly, Hans stopped. He told his brother, "You know what, Franz? We should just quit. We've got kids to take care of, and they're much more important!"

"You're right, Hans buddy! We've spent a long time away from our kids and wives, and they must be worried sick!"

Hans and Franz then ran out of the hideout, up the stairs, and out of the cabin.

"It's safe to come down now, Gold and Crystal," Lance yelled out. Duncan and Crystal then headed back downstairs. "Gold, doesn't one of your Pokémon know Smokescreen?"

"Yeah. My Quilava. Why?"

"It'll make the hidden beams you triggered visible, so you can just step over it."

"All right, then, go Ember, and use your Smokescreen!"

The Quilava appeared from its PokéBall, and breathed out a stream of smoke. As it cleared, a beam formed between the statues. It looked like they could step over it, and Spike could crawl under it. So they did.

---

"Mr. Gideon?"

"Yes, Kamon?"

"What's that blueprint of?"

"Why, this is a radio system, which influences evolution of Pokémon."

"All right, so you force Pokémon to evolve?" Bill grew suspicious of Gideon.

"Not exactly. We encourage them to evolve. We don't _force_ them."

"I don't know, it doesn't seem right."

Gideon assured him, "Look, you'll understand when you're old enough."

Kamon had a weird feeling about this. Were Duncan and Crystal in the hideout? Were they looking for him?

---

Duncan, Crystal, and Lance sneaked through the hideout, all knowing that if they were caught, they would suffer a terrible consequence at the hands of the Boss. They found a doorway with the sign "Network & Information Room". This looked like the place to find information about Team Rocket's plans, among other things.

Crystal pushed the switch, opening the door, and they entered the room. It was filled with computers, and blueprints were pinned on bulletin boards. In the cabinets, servers were installed. There was no one else in the room, so they could search it freely, until someone came into here. If this happened, it's time for a battle, and they would have to keep any Rockets from informing the higher-ranks.

"Gold, bring up some information about 'The Influences of Pokémon Evolution'," ordered Lance.

"I'm on it." Duncan then sat down and clicked on the "confidential" folder... only to get an "Access Denied" message. "It says 'Access Denied'."

"Access denied?" There had to be some way to hack into the servers...

---

Conner and Sandy were having dinner of fried Magikarp with Bill and Kamon. The dining room was rather typical, and looked similar to Kamon's dining room back at his home in Viridian City. "So, where are you from?" Kamon asked to the Rocket Admins.

"We're from Danton," said Conner.

"Really? I'd like to go there someday," remarked Bill. "You're not such bad guys once we get to know you."

"We've got relatives still living there," said Sandy. "Conner's brother George, George's fifteen-year-old son, Artie, and our nine-year-old son Conrad."

"So you've got a son!" exclaimed Kamon. "I didn't know that. So, do you think I should tell my uncle that I'm here?"

Bill answered, "Yes! He must be worried sick about you!"

Sandy told them, "Don't worry about it. It's your dad you're looking for."

---

"Hey, you!"

"Ah, man! We're in trouble," said Crystal, shaking in fear.

A scientist came running toward the "Network & Information Room". Crystal quickly scurried into the room.

"Lance, we've got company," Crystal warned.

"Then I'll deal with that scientist, and force him to release any information about the radio and Silver," said Lance.

"How will you do that?"  
---

Lance ordered, "All right, Gideon, log on to the terminal, and open up any plans, or Dragonite will attack!" Dragonite was ready for an attack if ordered.

Gideon shook in fear, as he logged in, clicking until he selected a file labeled, "Radio Broadcast.pdf". Then, he clicked on the print button, and the printer printed out the documents. Duncan took them, and gave them to Lance. "There! Now can I go now?"

"Yeah," answered Duncan. "but please, don't tell anyone!" Gideon then ran off. Duncan hoped that he wouldn't tell anyone.

---

A/N: So I decided to reveal a bit more about the Drayan family, such as about Conner and Sandy's son, Conrad. Maybe one day, I'll create an original series about him, Artie, and George.


	13. A Turn for the Worse

"All right, now we've got the plans for the radio," said Duncan. "Now let's get out of here. I'll look at these papers." Lance, Duncan, and Crystal then ran back to the entrance, up the stairs, and out of the cabin.

---

Gideon came running in as the automated door opened.

"Gideon!" exclaimed Conner. "What's the rush?"

"Kantoan governor Lance Envimorph has infiltrated the place! We must take action against him!"

"I saw on the surveillance system," agreed Sandy. "There were two kids with him as well."

---

Sandy walked through the hall until she came to a certain door. That particular door happened to be Door 98. She knocked on the door, and spoke in a disguised voice, "Housekeeping."

Although the inn was seedy and ramshackle, the rooms weren't bad at all – they looked middle class. Crystal was in Lance's room, while Duncan, in the bedroom, was trying to figure out the plans. He gasped in shock, as he jumped off of the bed, plans in hand, rushed over to the bathroom, and shut the door. There had to be some way to fool the supposed "Housekeeping".

Sandy looked around the bedroom. There was no one in sight, but she heard the shower running. She then decided to look in there, just to see if she could talk with the showering person.

---

Duncan pulled out the tape recorder, placed it on the counter, and turned it on. It played Chuck singing "Cool Jerk".

"We know a guy who can really do the cool jerk! We know a guy who can really do the cool jerk! Well! This cat they're talking about, I wonder who could it be!"

Sandy opened the door a tad, and looked inside. She could notice a silhouette of a person behind the shower curtain, but couldn't see any details.

"Cause they know, I'm, the heaviest cat, the heaviest cat you ever did see. Women see me walkin' down the street; none of the fellows want to speak."

Behind the shower curtain was Tyrogue, which, strangely, had evolved into Hitmonchan. Apparently, when he was in the storage system, either Red, Green, or Blue had withdrawn him, and trained him to evolution. It made sense, as the Caliduct family shared a single storage. The Hitmonchan flailed his arms, dancing to the song.

"Oh hey hey, on their faces, they wear a silly smirk, 'cause they know I'm the king of the coooool jerrrrrk!" The punching Pokémon then turned to the curtain, and shook out his fist. "Get outta here, you nosy pervert, or I'll punch you crazy!" Sandy gasped, and slammed the door behind her, running quickly out of the room.

"Great, man! You fooled her," praised Duncan. "And we still got the plans!" Then Duncan realized something – Tyrogue is the pre-evolution of Hitmonchan! But he read in Pokémon Pal that it was the pre-evolution of Hitmonlee - or was it Hitmontop? "Maybe I'll ask Karl or Hadley about your evolution."

---

At the Drayan house, Kamon and Axel searched through a box of collectibles. Kamon found his old blanket. He knew it was his immediately; his chew marks were on it. And he also found a sheet with his yearbook photos, from kindergarten to 10th grade. Axel also discovered a photograph of himself as a Meowth kitten.

They looked out the window after that. The sky was black, and they saw many, many stars. But what interested Kamon was how some of them were formed to be the constellation of a flying legendary Pokémon. He knew a few candidates of the constellation. Articuno? Was it Moltres? Zapdos? Ho-Oh? Lugia? "Maybe that's the constellation of Lugia," said Kamon, astonished. Then he said sadly, "Good night, Dad, wherever you are."

---

At HQ, Sandy told the surveillance staff, "If they come back, we'll be ready." They had put touch sensitivity pads on the floor pads leading to the power supply. Then she told Becky, Tabitha, and Courtney, "Once that alarm rings, head on over there, and we'll figure out what to do with them."

"You got it!" Becky told her mother.

---

Duncan, Crystal, and Lance noticed a sign reading, "Power Supply".

"That must be where the radio's getting its power," said Duncan.

"Good observation, Gold," said Lance.

Crystal had a very bad feeling about this as she stepped forth and pressed the button, opening the door. As they stepped in, a loud alarm blared, awaking Spike. "Shoot! We're busted!" yelled Crystal.

"Quick, Ember, Smokescreen!" With smoke, no Rockets would be able to see them escape. Duncan called out the Quilava, but instead, out comes a... "Alabama? Wait, this is Hadley's! But, how..."

"Quick, Psycho, Teleport," ordered Lance. The psychic Pokémon then emitted beams of light, which hit Duncan and Lance, but _almost_ hit Crystal, who looked around in dismay to see that Duncan, Lance, and Psycho had vanished!

---

"HELP ME!" Crystal cried out in fright, eyes wide. The alarm had faded away. "Team Rocket's going to get me!" Spike trembled in fear. "Spike, stay in your ball, because I don't want them to hold you!" She then recalled Spike in his PokéBall. Crystal ran out of the room. Tabitha, Courtney, and Becky were running toward her.

"Hi there, pal!" Becky said to Crystal. Crystal gasped in shock. That was the Rocket Elite from Slowpoke Well, National Park, and Cianwood City!

She screamed loudly as she ran away from them and tried to find an exit. The Elites gave chase. Crystal then suddenly began to feel weightless... she stepped on a teleport pad, and disappeared.

---

Crystal reappeared in the entrance to HQ, and ran up the stairs, and out the door. Crystal panted, exhausted. "It's all right, Spike. You can come out now." She called out the living spike ball, and attempted to rush back to Mahogany Town. But who would be expecting her but the three Elites? "Nooo!" wailed Crystal.

"We got you!" Becky walked toward Crystal, ranting, "The tables have turned! We can't have a brat like you ruining our plans." Becky grabbed Crystal on the collar.

"A-a-and... w-w-why... n-n-not!" Crystal stammered, sweating profusely.

"It's harmful to our goals. And no matter how strong you may be, you're not taking all three of us at the same time. Now come with us, or we'll have to force you, and we'll even attack if we've got to!"

Crystal screamed as she tried to escape, but Becky held an iron grip, grabbed Crystal's wrists and handcuffed her, as Tabitha seized Spike. They all headed back to HQ. Crystal feared for her life, as well as Kamon's. Where was he? And Spike's fate... what are they going to do to him? Steal Pokémon for profit! Exploit Pokémon for profit! All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket! That was the Team Rocket Oath. Crystal felt slightly sick, and her stomach twisted around. Those creatures are living things, not tools of war that one can abuse to win every battle.

---

Duncan looked out the window, and saw Crystal with the Rockets. "Shoot! Crystal's been kidnapped! I'd better go rescue her..." Duncan then sneaked out of his room, through the hallway, down the stairs, until he saw many Rocket Grunts scattered all over the lobby. "That's not a safe place to go." He then quickly scurried back upstairs. There had to be some sort of emergency exit somewhere. But before he could search for one, a cobra-like Pokémon with ferocious marks on its belly struck, causing him to fall to the floor in shock, and become coiled. There was no way he could get Ember (or any other Pokémon, for that matter) when he was all wrapped up.

"Good job, Arbok! You got him!" A feminine middle-aged voice cried out. Arbok vanished into a beam of light, and the Rocket Admins pulled Duncan from the floor.

"We spent eight months in jail thinking we were the world's unluckiest people. But we were wrong, we were very lucky!" ranted Sandy.

"We were released for good behavior and we've been doing fine since. We'll be doing even better, since we're not stealing from trainers anymore, now we're taking over large cities!" ranted Conner.

"And two days from now, we're heading to Goldenrod City, and taking over the radio tower... wait, I'm giving too much info. I'd better stop," said Sandy.

Duncan angrily yelled, "There's no way you can do this!" There had to be some way to get Red, Green, and Blue's aid. The Radio Tower... they're in danger! This job will need more power than what he had. Time to get the Color Triad, and disband Team Rocket for good!

"Excuse me!" said a heroic voice. Duncan and the Team Rocket Admins turned around. It was Lance! But who was that blue-haired young woman with him?

"You're Lance Envimorph! You're under arrest for stealing top secret information!" ordered Sandy.

"And I'm Lance's cousin, Clair Envimorph! And you'd better let that kid go, or we'll attack you!"

Conner then warned the Envimorphs, "As the interim bosses of Team Rocket, Conner and Sandy Drayan, we'll teach you a consequence in pain for meddling with Team Rocket!"


	14. Raging Rockets

Crystal awoke, stiff and sore all over. As she searched herself, she was in for a shock - they had taken all of her possessions! Worse, she was tied up – rope wrapped around her, arms bound behind her back – and she had been locked in a cage barely large enough for her. Crystal previously remembered that Team Rocket had seized her and Spike for espionage. "Mmph!" Crystal tried to cry out for help, but a piece of cloth tied over her mouth prevented this. Crystal couldn't move or make a sound. She saw Spike in another cage across from her, trying to bust the door open in vain.

---

"I'm warning you, you'd better stop what you're doing," warned Lance.

Conner scoffed. "We're going to continue, even if _you_ don't like it! Since disbanding Team Rocket a year a ago, Giovanni's been in training."

Sandy continued, "And he'll come back to assume command again. We won't let anyone stop us again!" exclaimed Sandy. "As the leaders in place of Giovanni, we'll teach you a lesson in respect!"

"Go, Arbok!" Sandy yelled.

"Go, Muk!" Conner ordered.

"Go, Dragonite!" Lance tossed the PokeBall.

"Go, Ampharos!" Clair followed suit.

Realizing that he had the chance to escape, Duncan immediately scurried away to Blackthorn City. "So long!"

"Hey!" shouted Sandy. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Sandy, we've got bigger problems to focus on!"

---

Kamon had watched the entire scene from the side of a run-down building. Those guys got Gold, he realized. He was both happy and upset at the same time. He was happy because Duncan managed to escape Conner and Sandy's clutches. But he was upset when he found out the Rocket Admins were bad guys all along. "I've got to tell Bill about this, and get out of here!" He quickly ran off back to the house so as not to become an innocent bystander.

---

In the living room, Bill was amazed when he heard Kamon's story. "They tried to kidnap Gold and Crystal?"

"Yeah! But I saw Gold get away from them!" lamented Kamon. "We've got to do something." He then realized that there was only one way out of here – they would have to run away. "I know what – we're running away! But where?"

"I saw Gold run off to Blackthorn City," said Bill. "We should go there and tell him everything!"

"Good idea!" Just then, the front door opened, and Conner and Sandy came in. Then he whispered to Bill, "But we'll have to do it when they're not here. I'll call him through his PokeGear."

---

Duncan panted as his heart shook rapidly. He was just outside the Blackthorn City gates. "Those guys got Crystal," he murmured to himself. Suddenly, his PokeGear rang. He answered it. "Hello? Who's this?"

"Gold! It's me, Silver," a familiar teenage voice cried out. It was Kamon! He was all right! Duncan felt intense relief wash all over him.

"Silver? What's going on? What are they doing to you?"

"They're treating me like royalty."

"Really? How's that?" Duncan was curious.

"I'll explain all that later," said Kamon. "Look, I just saw you escape from Team Rocket."

"And Crystal's been captured by Team Rocket as well!" exclaimed Duncan in surprise.

"Oh, man! That's awful!" Kamon cried out, upset. "Well, I'll try to get her out, and we'll go to Blackthorn together."

"All right, I'll wait for you here. I just came to the city."

"See you soon."

---

Kamon put the cordless receiver back into its set in triumph. He knew that he had to release Crystal from her imprisonment, knowing he had full access in the headquarters, and then they would go to Blackthorn. But what would that be for? Duncan probably would tell him when he gets there!

---

"You... you beat us!" cried out a surprised Conner.

"That's right," said Lance. "Now where is Kamon Stelldox?"

"We don't need to tell you," said Sandy. "We've got the right to remain silent."

Clair realized that this would be harder than they expected.

Becky's Hypno emitted a beam of energy on Conner and Sandy, and they vanished in a flash of light.

---

"Here's your salad, Kamon," said Courtney, as she served him a plate of lettuce, mixed with croutons, dressing, and tomato. "You look determined now," seeing Kamon's triumphant expression on his face.

"Thanks," praised Kamon.

"What's on your mind?"

"Well, it's really a secret," said Kamon.

"Well, I won't rat you out, cutie."

Kamon frowned at being called "cutie", but quickly dismissed it.

After dinner, he packed all of his belongings and brought Bill and Axel to the hideout, entering through a secret entrance, in which they didn't even need to leave the house for! The entrance was located in the basement, and in a private room with a sign marked "No Entry" on the door. When Kamon opened the door, Conner and Sandy noticed him.

Sandy then asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I'd like you to release a prisoner here..." thinking that since he was Giovanni's son, this would influence them.

"What's the person's name?" asked Conner.

"Crystal Caliduct."

Sandy, realizing that this girl was an apprentice to Lance Envimorph, lied to him, "There's no one by that name in our records."

Well, that didn't work, thought Kamon suspiciously. He knew Crystal was here. He changed the subject. "Never mind, Bill and I were just going to explore the place."

"Well, just don't get into trouble," said Conner.

"We won't," said Bill. That was close!

Kamon and Axel set off to find Crystal, while Bill entered the lab to obtain information about Team Rocket's next hit.

---

Crystal was not having a good time, however. She was more terrified than furious at Team Rocket. How dare they lock her up? She was just an apprentice who doesn't know anything!

All of a sudden, she heard footsteps moving towards her! Crystal prepared for the worst to happen...

Only it was the friendly red-haired teen, her knight in shining armor! She attempted to cry out for help, but the gag prevented this from happening. Smiling, Kamon pulled the cloth off of her mouth.

"Silver! You're all right!" Crystal was so happy and joyous to see that Kamon was unharmed and rescuing her. Kamon then unlocked the cage door, pulled Crystal out, and untied her. Immediately, she sprung up, free as a Pidgey, and squeezed him in her arms.

"This is no time for love, Kris! We've got to get out of here, and go to Blackthorn City!"

"Oh, yes!" said Crystal, giddy as a schoolgirl.

Kamon then unlocked the cage that contained Spike, and gave him to Crystal. "I know a shortcut out of here."

"That's great!"

"Unfortunately, it's at the boss' office." He couldn't bring a prisoner that Conner and Sandy refused to release into the office without attracting attention. Unless they were distracted somehow...

---

In the lab, Bill had compiled a database of plans to attack the Radio Tower in Goldenrod City and the formula to the poison the Pokemon had been infected with. He then saved it on his USB flash drive. No one seemed to be paying attention, which was good, because if they did notice him, he could possibly face a furious Conner and Sandy Drayan. Bill, knowing the dangers of leaking such information, walked out, and back to the entrance to the boss' office.

Kamon, Crystal, Axel, and Spike had all made it as well. "All right, Bill, talk to Conner and Sandy, and keep them occupied!"

"You got it!" Bill then pushed the button, opening the door. Crystal immediately ducked out of sight. "Hey, you two, I'd like a few words with you!"

As Bill started the conversation about their favorite Pokemon, Conner and Sandy seemed too distracted to notice that Kamon and Crystal sneaked through the office, and out the door into the Drayans' basement, but Bill saw them, and as they left, he then interrupted the conversation, telling them, "Wait, uh, I think I'd better go now."

As Bill exit through the basement door, Sandy began to grow suspicious of his and Kamon's actions. "Something doesn't seem right..."

---

"...Something doesn't seem right..."

Kamon could hear Sandy's voice from behind the door. "Kris, we'd better get out of here,_ now_!" he whispered. They ran upstairs, through the living room, and out the front door.

Parked on the road was a lavender 4-door sedan. Lance exit the car and beckoned the three teenagers and two Pokemon to enter the vehicle.

"Come on, guys, we'd better get to Blackthorn City as soon as we can!"

"Good idea," said Kamon, out of breath. "Team Rocket's getting suspicious!"

"And I've got the plans," said Bill.

"I'd really like to go home," whined Crystal.

"Don't worry, Crystal," assured Kamon. "There's nothing to be afraid of as long as we're with powerful Pokemon Trainers."

As they entered the car, Lance started it up, and drove off right away.

At that moment Kamon knew he could no longer trust Team Rocket. They betrayed him! The nerve! He had passed the point of no return, and pushed this journey to the limit. Now his safety was not guaranteed, and neither was the safety of Duncan, Crystal, or even Lance.


	15. Reunion

"Thank goodness you're all okay!" Lance was relieved about Kamon, Crystal, and Bill's safety. Even Axel and Spike were all right.

---

Sandy looked at the speeding car suspiciously. "Those kids sure were in a hurry."

"Just what were they doing that they don't want us to find out about?" asked Conner.

Sandy pondered this. "Something suspicious..." Something wasn't right. Sandy couldn't place her finger on it, though, but something definitely wasn't right.

"Maybe he released one of the prisoners when we said no?"

"We didn't say no; we just lied to him saying, 'there's no one here by that name.'" recited Sandy. She then realized that Kamon didn't believe them, and that he and Bill explored the hideout anyway. "He must have released Crystal Caliduct, and run off to Blackthorn City!"

"Let's go call Kamon and tell him to come back here," said Conner.

Suddenly, thunder boomed in the sky, and the clouds were turning gray.

"I'll schedule calling him via his cell phone for tomorrow," said Sandy.

---

A flash of light illuminated the dark sky as night began to fall and the car drove into Mahogany Town, parking at what appeared to be a large library. All six occupants exit the vehicle and head into the hall. Spike yelped out in shock when lightning flashed, and Crystal took him inside, running all the way in.

---

The room was large, with a high ceiling, murals with legendary Pokemon painted on them on the walls, such as Mew, Lugia, and Ho-Oh, and a chessboard style floor. Duncan was present, and when his eyes focused on the wet group, a warm feeling overwhelmed his entire body. Kamon, Bill, Crystal, Lance, Axel, and Spike were all okay! He ran up, hugging them one at a time.

"I'm so glad you all made it in one piece!" exclaimed Duncan. "Silver, I was worried something awful would happen to you."

"Hey, Gold, my captors are my dad's friends," said Kamon.

"Really? That's a surprise!" cried out Crystal. "You could have used your connection to release me!"

Kamon at that moment slapped his face in embarrassment. Guess I should have told Conner and Sandy that Crystal was my friend, Kamon thought. Ah, well. If they come by here, I'll tell them that Crystal's my friend, and any crime will be dropped.

"I hate to interrupt," said Lance, "but there's no time to lose! The plans Bill gave me will help us to put an end to that tyrannical organization once and for all. Tomorrow, we must hold the meeting and get ready to begin the final showdown!"

The big day was about to begin; it was the point of no return. There was no abandoning this Pokemon quest.

---

Professor Elm was on the phone. "Y-yes, Lance?" he said nervously, hoping that Roger and Lisa wouldn't find out about their kids getting captured by Team Rocket.

"Professor Elm, don't worry. Kamon's safe, and so are Duncan and Crystal," said Lance. "They're with me at Blackthorn now."

Elm breathed a sigh of relief.

"And I'll be informing Kamon's uncle that he's safe with me."

"Thanks, Lance!" exclaimed Elm happily. "You're a real lifesaver!"

"It's my job."

"What about Duncan and Crystal? Are they ready to go home now?"

"Team Rocket might get them there," said Lance. "No, I think they'd better stay here, in Blackthorn."

---

At the meeting room, all sixteen Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders, were seated, with the Elite Four on the stage, and Lance on the podium. All the Gym Leaders were the same as last year, except for Fuchsia and Viridian. The new Fuchsia Leader was 16-year-old Janine Kilojice, whose father became a member of the Elite Four. The new Viridian Leader was Kevin "Blue" Oak. Next to him were Karl "Red" and Hadley "Green" Caliduct, the cousins of Duncan and Crystal.

The Elite Four consisted of Lorelei, Karen, Will, and Bruno. Agatha's resignation resulted in Karen becoming a member of the Elite Four. In addition, Lance's election to governor of Kanto resulted in him being replaced by Bruno as the Elite Four leader, and Will taking Bruno's original place.

"OK, I brought you all here for a **_very _**critical bulletin," emphasized Lance. "As you know, the criminal syndicate Team Rocket was terminated a year ago. Let's bring an applause for Red, Green, and Blue for such patriotism."

The audience clapped in applause.

"If not for these heroes, the world would have fallen into disaster," proclaimed Lance. "Strangely, at the same time, the reclusive gym leader of Viridian City has disappeared. Even I don't know his identity. So Blue is now the Gym Leader..."

"What about Team Rocket?" asked Kamon from backstage. "We don't have time for your rambling."

"Oh, yeah! Anyway, back to Team Rocket," apologized Lance. "Anyway, it's been a year since Red, Green and Blue caused Team Rocket to disband. But this syndicate has appeared to resurface. They took over Slowpoke Well, stole the Pokemon from National Park, abducted some teenagers, forced Magikarp to evolve, and they've got other plans up their sleeves."

Everyone in the audience gasped in fright.

"There is no running away from this problem. We need to face our fears," stressed Lance. "We must get mobilized and shut down Team Rocket once and for all!"

---

After everyone headed to the Blackthorn Hotel, Lance, in his hotel room, picked up the phone, and dialed Kamon's house. Norman will be pleased to hear that Kamon's safe, Lance thought. After a few seconds, the dial tone stopped.

"Hello?" was the voice from the receiver.

"Hi, is this Norman Stelldox?" asked Lance.

"Yes, who's this?"  
"Norman, this is Lance Envimorph. I got Kamon out of Team Rocket..."

"Team Rocket!" cried Norman. "I told him not to leave the house!"

"If he didn't leave the house," said Lance, "he'd still be abducted."

"Well, then, in that case," Norman's tone softened, "He did the right thing. I'm so proud of him."

"He's safe with us, and he'll be coming home soon."

"Thank you," Norman said in a breaking tone. "You really helped our family."

Lance hung up. Somehow, he knew that Kamon, Duncan, and Crystal's part in this adventure wasn't done. Team Rocket had plans to take control of the Radio Tower. If they could do this, they would send a message all over the nation especially for their old leader. This person might come back to restore command. There was no telling what they'd do if that happens, but it wouldn't be a nice idea.

---

"Silver, I'd like to thank you for saving me," said Crystal softly. "You're... really nice." Crystal and Kamon were lying on a bed in a hotel room.

"Well, Crystal," said Kamon. "I couldn't leave you hanging. I can't imagine anyone hurting you."

Their faces began to move closer. "Could we go out to the Goldenrod Mall once this Team Rocket business is done and over with?"

"Well, I..." But Kamon was interrupted by the ring-tone of his cellular phone. "Wait a second..." he went out into the hallway. "Hello?"

Kamon heard Conner's voice. "Kamon, where are you?"

"I'm at Blackthorn City."

"What were you doing in the headquarters?" asked Conner.

Kamon began to tense up. "I wasn't doing anything suspicious! I swear!"  
"Do you know 'Crystal Caliduct'?"

"Well, yes, I do," said Kamon tensely. "My uncle's worried about me, probably, and I really want to go back home. Maybe we should call off the whole Team Rocket thing."

"Now, come on," insisted Conner. "you can't just weasel out of this. Now could you please head back here?"  
"_Never again!_" Kamon blew a fit. "I'm heading straight home when I leave! I've _had it_ with you guys!" He immediately ended the call, turning off the phone. "What a bunch of losers," he muttered to himself.

"What was that all about?" Crystal wondered what Kamon had gotten into.

"Don't even bother asking..."

---

"...And so I secretly recorded Team Rocket's conversation with you and Clair."

"Where's the tape?" inquired Lance.

"Let's see... it was in my pocket..." he rummaged through his pockets and bag. "Shoot! Team Rocket took my tape recorder! And the tape was in it!" Team Rocket had ripped him off. How embarrassing...

"I hate it when that happens," murmurs Lance.

---

Duncan headed into the Mineral Triad's room in shame. "I can't believe Team Rocket took my tape recorder. The tape was in it."

"What tape?" asked Kamon.

"The conversation with Team Rocket, and Lance & Clair," responded Duncan. "Apparently, they took it when I wasn't looking. Looks like we're stuck now..."

"No we're not," said Kamon happily. "Conner and Sandy will invite you into their house. I'm sure they will. I'll call them."

---

"Hello?" asked Sandy as she picked up the phone.

"Sandy? It's me! I've gotten over my temper, and decided to come back! Crystal and Duncan, well, I call him Gold, are just my friends. They're nothing to worry about."

"Did they release any top secret..."

"No," interrupted Kamon. "They didn't actually know anything."

"OK. They're fine with us after all. Well, remember to get here as soon as possible!" Sandy hung up.

"That was Kamon," Sandy told Conner. "He's decided to come back after all, and those two kids are actually his friends."

"I'm sure they'll make good allies for him," said Conner menacingly.


	16. Secret of Team Rocket

Kamon switched off his cellular phone. Now he knew that Team Rocket wouldn't harm his friends. This made the return to the Drayan household much easier, since they didn't have to break in. Maybe Duncan and Crystal could make friends with Conner, Sandy, and Becky... Yeah, that'll happen. But this was no time to make friends. They were on a mission!

Kamon went back into the room. "Hey Gold, Sandy told me you're welcome in their house. Now isn't that a surprise or what?"

"Well, that was easier than I thought," sighed Duncan in relief. For bad guys, they were rather open and friendly once you got to know them a bit.

"Yeah," said a calm but skeptical Crystal. "But still, I think they've got something planned for us..."

Duncan realized that they needed some way to get back to Mahogany Town. "How do we get there?"

---

Green then pulled out a PokeBall, and opened it up. Out came Alakazam. "All right, Psycho, create a transport portal to Mahogany Town!" Psycho then meditated for a few seconds, and aimed his spoons at the floor. Beams of light fired from the spoons onto the ground, creating a void into the mysterious beyond.

"You should recall Axel and Spike." Kamon and Crystal did so. "You don't want to leave anyone behind. The less, the better."

Duncan and Kamon then jumped into the portal. Crystal, however, hesitated. "I think I've had enough adventure for this summer, thank you."

Green then pressured her cousin by telling her, "Come on! You've got to participate! Everyone counts!"

"I said no!"

"Psycho, put her in the portal."

Crystal suddenly began to glow, and floated in the air. Psycho pulled her into the portal. "Help!" was the last word heard from the portal, fading as it closed up.

---

Behind the relatively large house was an in-ground swimming pool. It was a refreshing retreat in the hot summer air. A portal opened up, and out came Duncan, Crystal, and Kamon, right into the swimming pool! "We can't swim!" cried out Duncan and Crystal as they splashed into the water.

Kamon, who _could_ swim, resurfaced. "Oh, man! We ended up in the pool! Darn that Psycho!" Kamon then called out Croc, and put a leash on him. "Quick! Get Gold and Crystal!" The small crocodile then dove down into the deep pool.

Duncan and Crystal had reached the bottom – around 8 feet deep. Croc swam down. Duncan and Crystal then grabbed the leash around his neck, and floundered back up into the surface, and quickly scrambled up the ladder. "Thanks, Croc," said Crystal happily, as she hugged the crocodile. "You saved us!" Crystal then called out Spike.

"We've got to learn how to swim," said Duncan. "This 'we can't swim' family tradition is getting out of hand."

Conner and Sandy, dressed casually, and looking harmless, with calm expressions, came down to the pool. "You're all wet," remarked Sandy.

"Hey, it's them," realized Kamon. "Mr. and Mrs. Drayan, I'd like you to meet Gold, and Crystal."

"H-h-hello." Crystal wasn't sure if she stammered due to being either cold or scared. "H-h-here's Spike." Spike turned his head away from Conner and Sandy. "I guess he still thinks you're bad to the bone."

"You still kind of freak me out," Duncan told the Drayans.

"Well, many people tell us that," joked Conner. "Don't worry about it. Say, where's Bill?"

Kamon then remembered that Bill was still at Blackthorn City. "He decided to go home." Bill was out of the picture now.

Sandy then told them in a nice tone, "Why don't you head into the house and dry off?"

The three reluctantly agreed. Kamon had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach for some reason.

---

Kamon then sneaked into Conner and Sandy's bedroom late that night. No one was inside. "They must have been off talking to each other in their secret office." He then searched the nightstand drawer. There it was, Duncan's tape recorder!

Kamon then headed back into the hallway. "Here you go, your walkman. They weren't in the room."

"Okay, I'll go downstairs and tape their conversations," said Duncan.

---

Duncan sneaked into the basement and listened to Conner and Sandy's conversations behind the "No Entry" door. He knew something strange was going on, and he had reclaimed his tape recorder so he could record the conversation. And so he pressed the record button, and let their private conversation go by.

"...I'm sure Duncan and Crystal will be great allies to Kamon..." It was Sandy's voice.

"...Yes, once we recruit him into Team Rocket..."

Duncan, at that point, gasped in fright. They wanted to conscript him, Crystal, and Kamon into Team Rocket!

"...Once we're at the Radio Tower tomorrow night, we persuade them to join..."

What would happen if we refused, considered Duncan. He didn't bear to imagine it.

"...So it's settled. Tomorrow afternoon, we head off to Radio Tower," said Conner. "Wait a second, I thought I heard a noise." Duncan pushed the stop button, and quickly ran back upstairs as to not attract attention. Conner opened the door and turned on the lights, but found nobody.

"Must be your imagination," remarked Sandy.

"Okay, maybe you're right. I really need sleep."

---

Duncan then replayed the conversation to Crystal and Kamon.

"I'm sure Duncan and Crystal will be great allies to Kamon..."

"Yes, once we recruit him into Team Rocket..."

Crystal then reached the breaking point of tears. "I knew it! I knew it all along! They want us for Team Rocket!" She then sobbed on Kamon's shoulder. Spike began to cry as well.

Kamon then said rebelliously, "Those morons need to be locked up again."

"So it's settled. Tomorrow afternoon, we head off to Radio Tower."

Duncan then realized, "Wait a minute! That's in Goldenrod City!"

Crystal added, "And that's the next stop of Lance and the others!"

Kamon knew his uncle and aunt were worried stiff. "And I've got to get home. I'm sure Uncle Norman and Aunt Gloria are worried sick about me. First thing in the morning, we're blowing this joint."

Duncan pulled out his PokeGear, but realized it was after midnight. Green would be in bed by now. So tomorrow, they would leave the house and head back to Kamon's.

As they all climbed up into bed, Crystal began to feel discomfort. "It's no use," sighed Crystal. "I can't sleep without mom or dad."

Crystal wasn't sure if the bed was uncomfortable or that she was in the house of her cousins' enemies that made her feel discomfort. She climbed out away from Duncan, picked up Spike (quietly, as to not awaken him) and went to Kamon to snuggle together. Crystal's discomfort began to fade away. Spike sleepwalked to Axel, who gave a warm stare to the spike ball. Soon, Duncan followed suit, noticing that Crystal moved.

---

Early next morning, the three quietly exit the house. Duncan pulled out his PokeGear, and called Green. "Hello?"

"Hi, Green. We've got the tape recorder, with more evidence this time!" said Duncan. "We're going off to Silver's house, because Team Rocket's going to the Radio Tower this afternoon."

"Well, that's our next stop," said Green. "You'll need to deposit the tape into the PC so I can get it and bring it to Lance."

"OK, we'll do it. Bye." He then hung up. A transport portal opened up behind them, and they all happily jumped in, not wasting a single second.

---

The three trainers fell out of the void, and back into a familiar-looking city. Suddenly, they remembered where they landed – Goldenrod City! More specifically, they were back at Kamon's house.

They scurried back into Kamon's bedroom, and caught up on their sleep.

Norman entered the room, and was surprised to see that Kamon was back home. He was calmed, and relieved. His nephew was okay and even brought his friends along. Where were they all along? Oh, yeah... Team Rocket. But Kamon sure was brave to escape them. Those Rockets will pay for abducting him.

---

Conner opened up the door, and was shocked to see Duncan, Crystal, and Kamon gone! Sandy picked up a note on the bed. "We've gone back to my house. We'll be at the Radio Tower. See ya there!"

"How the heck did they know we'd go to the tower?" Sandy was confused. "It must be faith that brought them there."

"Maybe Kamon found out about our next mission," hypothesized Conner. "He sure is one responsible man if he did."

---

Lance trudged around the Gym Leaders and Elite Four. "Let's get ready to head off to Radio Tower, which Team Rocket will be invading this afternoon!"

Red then added, "We're going to shut them down once and for all! And we mean it!"

Blue became determined to face the showdown with his old enemies. "Let's get ready to rumble!"

The Color Triad was fully ready for the attack. Their Pokemon had become so trained and powerful since last year that they were ready as well. But they knew this would still be no easy task.


	17. Radio Daze

Kamon awakened, and stretched out of his bed. He was home safe after many days of being away. Lance would be leading the others to Radio Tower to permanently shut down Team Rocket. Kamon also realized that he was on his own when it came to finding his father. Duncan and Crystal awakened, too.

"I _definitely_ don't want any more involvement with Team Rocket," Crystal urged shakily.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about that anymore," stated Duncan. "The others will deal with them now."

---

Kamon grabbed a coffee mug, poured some coffee, added some creamer, and sat down at the kitchen table. Crystal searched the cupboard and picked up a box of Special K, pouring the breakfast cereal into a bowl, and adding milk. In addition, she did the same for a smaller bowl, giving it to Spike on the floor, who looked at it strangely.

Crystal then showed him what the food was. "It's cereal. You eat it."

Spike then picked up a few flakes of the cereal, and placed it into his mouth, chewing it. "Toge, Toge!" He liked it! Spike then grabbed more flakes and ate them, while Crystal ate her own cereal.

---

Duncan checked the mailbox, and pulled out some mail. After he went into the living room, he checked the mail. Most of it was just lucrative college offers for Kamon, which he wasn't interested in at this time. Within the various junk mail was a letter to Kamon. "Uh-oh. This doesn't look good... Hey, Silver!"

"Yeah?"

"Come on over here, I got mail for you!"

"All right, let me see it," he requested, as he entered the living room. He took the letter from Duncan, ripped open the envelope, and looked at the letter inside. Kamon froze when he realized that Team Rocket wanted him back. He then shakily read the letter. "It says to report later today to the Radio Tower. Aren't we going there anyway?"

"No, Silver, we lied. We're going to ignore that letter."

"Heck yeah!" exclaimed Kamon. "Who needs Team Rocket?" He put the letter into a fax machine, and input the fax number printed on the letter. With the fax number, he transported it back to its originators. Amazing how fax machines worked like that!

Crystal's face began to look grim. "What if they come after us, though?"

Duncan thought about what to do. "I really don't know right now. Your uncle likely knows what we're doing. He'd be proud of us," said Duncan. Somehow, it seemed appropriate.

---

Becky, Tabitha, and Courtney looked into a window, where they could see Duncan, Crystal, and Kamon. They didn't see that Kamon had faxed the letter.

"Remember those two kids we saw the other day?" asked Becky, referring to Duncan and Crystal. "They're Silver's friends."

Courtney then wondered if any adults were inside. "Well, if they're in there, an adult's got to be in there as well."

Tabitha shook his head, his slightly long hair waving with each shake. "No way, babe. These kids are all alone!"

Becky then remarked, "Those kids had better come to the Radio Tower tonight, or they're in _big_ trouble!"

---

Sandy saw the letter that she and Conner had mailed to Kamon's house in her fax machine. "What the heck? It's been faxed back." She couldn't know if Kamon himself or Norman had returned it, though. Sandy faxed the letter back to Kamon's house. "Maybe he'll cooperate this time around," she mumbled to herself.

---

The letter was transported back in the fax machine. "Aw, they brought it back!" whined Kamon.

"It was a good idea, though," assured Duncan. "Screw it! We're faxing that letter to Lance. He'll know what to do."

"But we're _not_ going to the Radio Tower," Crystal said bluntly. "I think I've had it with Team Rocket!"

---

A piece of paper came sliding out of Lance's fax machine. He wondered where Duncan, Crystal, and Kamon went. "Hmm, what's this... it's from Team Rocket to Silver! And what's this..."

Along with the letter was another letter to him. He read it out loud, "Dear Lance Envimorph, we're at Silver's house, and Team Rocket's going to invade the Radio Tower tonight. Get to there ASAP! Sincerely, Duncan 'Gold' Caliduct, Crystal Caliduct, and Kamon 'Silver' Stelldox."

With that, Lance declared, "It's time. The invasion is imminent." This was no easy task. He had a strong belief that it would take all the manpower and PokePower he had at his disposal. Lance trudged to the window, staring out into the crystal-blue sky, as if he were a condemned man seeing daylight one last time, and left the room, ready to give the order to attack.

---

A herd of trucks sped towards the Radio Tower. Team Rocket Grunts and Elites rushed into the tower's entrance. They called out various Pokemon, including Ekans, Grimer, Drowzee, Houndour, and Murkrow to name a few.

The receptionists and tourists screamed and ran out in fright, even breaking off the glass of the doors. But no Duncan, Crystal, or Kamon. Conner ordered Becky, Tabitha, and Courtney, "Please go to Kamon's house, and bring him and his friends over here."

"All right, dad! He'll be sorry for being a no-show!" exclaimed Becky. "Grr, come on, guys, let's go get 'em!"

---

"Everything all right when you were gone?" Norman and Kamon were at the kitchen. It was 5:30 PM.

"Yeah," said Kamon, not daring to tell him about Team Rocket. The doorbell rang. "I'll get it. If I've got to leave here again, wish me luck."

Duncan, calling Lance in the living room, said to him, "Great! You're all ready for action!"

Lance then asked, "Are _you_ ready?"

"Well, uh..."

Kamon opened the front door.

"How's it going, Kamon?" asked Tabitha. Team Rocket?

"You didn't show up!" yelled Becky. "After my parents told you!"

Kamon then decided to act like he never saw the letter. "Uh, what do you mean?"

Becky scoffed. "Oh, a wise guy, eh?" she snapped. "Get over here, you three!"

Duncan then whispered, "Lance, we've got a change of plans. We're going to Radio Tower."

"Okay, then. We're on our way. Hold out! We'll be there in an hour."

Duncan then hung up. "Let's go!"

Norman then shouted out, "Good luck, kids!"

---

Duncan, Crystal, Kamon, Axel, and Spike entered a room, high up in the tower; most specifically, the director's office. There was no sign of the director; instead Conner and Sandy occupied the room. The threatening looks on their faces showed that the kids were in trouble. Kamon knew they were in trouble.

"Where were you?" questioned Sandy. Crystal and Spike were both terrified.

"We didn't mean to show up late," insisted Kamon.

Conner began to soften, but he still looked firm. "We'll let it slide this time, but next time, no more Mr. Nice Guy!"

"Okay!" insisted Duncan. "We'll remember next time!" That was a close call! At least Lance would arrive soon. But now what, he wondered.

Kamon then took a look around. The room had a desk with a microphone and computer on it, along with various papers. "Hmm." Among the papers was the transcript for Conner and Sandy's request to Giovanni to return and restore Team Rocket to its former glory. Somehow, he doubted this would work if his dad were outside of the service area.

Duncan came over to inspect the transcript. Here were the first few lines:

-

CONNER: We are Team Rocket! And I'm Conner Drayan!

SANDY: And I'm his wife, Sandy. After a year of preparation, we're back!

CONNER: Where is our boss? Are you listening, Giovanni?

-

"They want their leader back," said Duncan.

"Yeah, and he's my dad, too," interjected Kamon. He knew this was the right time to break it to his friends.

"Whoa! So that's why Team Rocket came after you in the first place!" exclaimed Duncan. "It also explains how you were treated nicely by them."

Crystal stepped forward to Kamon. "I'm shaken... But that probably doesn't even matter. You're still a friend to me, Silver."

"I knew you'd say that," said Kamon.

"Say, where's Spike and Axel?" asked Duncan curiously.

"Aw, man!" whined Kamon. "They must have gotten away!"

---

Axel sneaked his way through the tower, looking for a way out. Spike sat on Axel's back, hanging on to the Persian's gray collar. Axel's cries to Togepi translated to "Stay with me, Spike, and don't get lost! Stay _on_ me, if that makes you feel any better."

The Togepi wanted nothing else but to leave the invaded tower. "Togi," which translated to "OK."

Rockets walked through hallways, some accompanied with hostages. He slowly stepped toward the grunts until they reached a large metallic door. There was no doorknob, so it was probably electronically controlled. As the door opened, grunts walked in further. A key card attached to a chain fell out of a grunt's pocket onto the floor. Axel looked at it curiously. Spike dismounted, and picked up the chained card.

"Put it around my neck." Spike did so with great difficulty. It was remarkably lightweight. "To me, it isn't that heavy. Let's get back to Gold, Silver, and Crystal!" Spike then remounted, and they ran back to the director's office.

---

"There they are," said Kamon in relief.

"What's this?" Duncan removed the key card from Axel's neck. "This key card says, 'Restricted area underground.'"

"Restricted area?" inquired Crystal. "Underground? Maybe it's the basement, because no one's ever allowed down there."

"It may as well be," said Kamon. He looked at his watch. "It's 6:00 PM. They should be here in half an hour. Let the battle begin!"


	18. Going Underground

A herd of trucks sped into Goldenrod City, and thereon to the Radio Tower. The sun had already disappeared from the sky, and it grew darker. "Team Rocket's already gotten here," said Red.

"And we're going to welcome them," remarked Blue.

"They'll be sorry for trying to bring the world to ruin," Green snickered.

Outside, Lance, the Elite Four, and all of the Gym Leaders had left their vehicles. "All right, is everyone present and accounted for?" He checked. Everyone was present. "OK! Now it's time for the final showdown!"

They all ran into the tower's entrance; the flood overcrowded them, but after some management (and Chuck's Primeape to knock down part of the wall) they made it inside.

---

Conner and Sandy looked out at the window. "More people?" Conner complained.

"It looks like Kamon and his friends were our enemies all along," ridiculed Sandy. She pulled out a cellular phone, saying, "Elites, please bring Duncan and Crystal Caliduct to us now."

---

Kamon and Axel scurried down the stairs, floor after floor, until they reached the ground floor. There, Kamon saw the Elite Four, and the Gym Leaders! In addition, they had created a massacre of unconscious Team Rocket Grunts. "What the heck? You came!"

Blue then said, "Whoa! You came too! Isn't that a coincidence?"

Green then reminded him, "That was the plan, Blue."

Red said, "Yeah, Blue. He was going to go there anyway."

"Actually, we originally chose to just stay home," corrected Kamon. "But when Team Rocket came over, we were forced to make a change of plans."

Lance then interjected, "Anyway, it's good to see you again. Where was that audio tape you were going to give us?"

"Oh, yeah!" He reached into his pocket, and handed the tape, which was labeled, "Team Rocket saying they'll draft us."

"Thank you, Silver," Red said happily.

"Hey, no problem," replied Kamon.

"All right, is everyone ready for the big night?" asked Lance.

"We're ready for anything," replied Blue.

"We beat them once, we'll beat them again," Red stated.

They all ran through the floor, heading upstairs, except for Lorelei, Bruno, Koga, and Janine. Koga then said, "OK, people, let's get downstairs."

"All right, Axel, let's head down into the basement," Kamon told the Persian.

"Fufushaa!" cried out Axel. The translator showed that he said, "We can't go without Gold and Crystal!"

"What? Oh, yeah! Let's go get them. All right, you remaining four, here's the key card to the basement."

"Thanks, Silver," said Bruno. "All right, let's go underground."

---

Duncan and Crystal were gone. "What the- I told them to stay here," mumbled Kamon. "Where could they be?" Axel had a note in his mouth. Kamon took the piece of paper.

"OK, it says...

Hey Silver, If you ever want to see your friends again, please head into the basement, at the warehouse room. Don't try anything funny, or we'll make your life a living hell! That includes hurting Gold and Crystal! Your enemy, Rebecca Tina Drayan."

This was not good. Why did they do this? "We're in a lot of trouble." Oh, well. He was going to go down there, anyway. "Come on, Axel, let's save our friends and stop Team Rocket!" With the Elite Four, his safety was guaranteed.

---

Kamon and Axel arrived at the automated door, which had a sign saying "No Unauthorized Entry Beyond This Point". It was still unlocked, and it opened when Kamon came near it. They headed down the stairs, hoping that no alarm would go off. As Kamon reached the bottom, no alarm sounded. He switched on the light switch. Florescent light bulbs illuminated the small, dusty, relatively cold room. The walls were metal and the floor was concrete. He had to reach the others and rescue Duncan and Crystal... and fast!

---

Spike was locked in a small and uncomfortable cage shivering from the coldness of the basement and in fear. Duncan and Crystal were tied together to a pole with Ben Pyrolic and the Radio Tower director, Omri Cinedima. "Now, you three, let's not get hasty here..." said the elderly gym doorman.

"Shut up, old man!" ordered Becky. "We're keeping you here until Silver comes!"

"What happens if the boy doesn't show up?" asked Omri. "What's so important about the kid?"

"Well, he happens to be our old boss' son," answered Courtney.

Tabitha interjected, "If he doesn't show up, you're gonna get pulverized!"

"Exactly," said Duncan. "And they want to get me and Crystal to join Team Rocket with him."

Ben then exclaimed, "That would be the reason Team Rocket liked you. They can't wait to get you to become criminals."

Becky roared, "How the heck did you get that?"

"We stole it, remember?" reminded Crystal.

Duncan sighed in resentment. He wished he had never messed with Team Rocket. "I guess we'll just have to wait for him to come."

---

Kamon and Axel walked through the cold basement. It was even scarier than the higher floors. The lights were dimmer, too.

"Ariados, String Shot!"

A large spider-type Pokemon emerged from the darkness and shot a sticky string at Kamon, binding his legs together and causing him to fall to the ground. "Whoa!" Axel quickly dashed out of the way.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you very well," apologized Janine. "It's really dark in here."

"OK, just let me out of this string!" Kamon tried to pull his legs loose, but they were stuck together tightly. Axel unsheathed his claws, and scratched the string off of Kamon, who stood up free. "Thanks, Axel! Anyway, Janine, I need to get to the others."

"All right, follow me."

---

Janine, Kamon, and Axel reached Bruno, Lorelei, and Koga.

Kamon felt a bit more comfortable with powerful trainers around him. "Hey, everyone, Gold and Kris got captured- again - by Team Rocket! But they're in this basement. Where's the warehouse room?"

"We haven't gotten to there yet," replied Koga. "That's one of our stops."

"But our allies are prisoners," interjected Bruno. "We'd better get there soon!"

"Right," said Kamon. "Or Team Rocket might kill them." He couldn't imagine it.

"Well, don't just stand there," insisted Lorelei. "We've got friends to save!"

---

As they ran into the warehouse, Lorelei screamed in extreme pain. A Machoke punched her face; it was now battered, and her glasses were cracked. A Victreebel then forced her arm into its big mouth, digesting the flesh. Lorelei then pulled her fleshless arm loose; Machoke then punched her rib-cage, and she fell to the ground.

Kamon grew disgusted at the body. "Quick, Axel! Fight that Victreebel!"

Axel then jumped out, unsheathed his claws, and pounced toward the digestive flower, scratching it violently. Victreebel attempted to force the cat into its mouth, but Axel put all of his strength to keep himself from getting digested. He then took a bite out of Victreebel, making a large tear on its body.

"Quick, Hitmonchan, make sure Machoke doesn't get to Axel!" Bruno then called out the boxing-gloved humanoid Pokemon. Hitmonchan walked toward the other humanoid, and punched it twice. Machoke turned away from Axel and Victreebel, and reached for Hitmonchan. The boxer quickly jumped back. Machoke jumped toward Hitmonchan, smashing the concrete floor; the boxer was too quick. Machoke then rammed towards Hitmonchan, but missed, and hit the metal wall, fazing the wrestler Pokemon. Hitmonchan then punches the dazed Machoke in the head, causing the wrestler to fall to the ground, unconscious.

Axel whipped the Victreebel with his tail, sending the flying flower sprawling.

Koga and Janine then came to examine the dying Lorelei.

Lorelei breathed heavily, and everything seemed to go black. "I... don't think I can make it through..."

Bruno felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Come on, Lorelei, you can hack it."

"I can hack it... ugh!" Lorelei spat up blood, and completely stopped all motion in Bruno's arms. Tears began to leak from Bruno's eyes. "I loved her... Why have I been granted bad luck in my life? Why? We wanted to raise a family together!" Bruno was crying in emotional pain.

Axel, roughed up and slightly battered, but still okay, ran towards Kamon. "You really sent that Victreebel packing!"

Koga then told everyone else, "We'd better keep moving; Team Rocket isn't very patient."

"Let's go get some payback," said Bruno in revenge.

"We're going to kick their butts for killing one of the Elite Four!" exclaimed Janine.

---

"Well, there you are," said Becky. She then saw that Kamon had brought along Koga, Janine, and Bruno. "I didn't tell you to bring anyone else along!"

"Well, he did," retorted Koga. "And we're going to get back at you for killing Lorelei!"

"Lorelei's my cousin!" exclaimed Becky. "Why would I kill her?"

"Yeah, man, why would we kill anyone?" asked Tabitha.

"Well, one thing," Kamon pressed, "your Victreebel tried to eat Axel!"

"Hey, I just thought he could use some fighting!" argued Tabitha.

"By putting him in danger?" questioned Janine. "You could have had that Persian killed!"

Kamon secretly untied Spike, Crystal, Duncan, Ben, and Omri, and they secretly sneaked out of the warehouse room while Team Rocket quarreled with the stronger trainers.

Janine, who searched Lorelei's corpse and took her Pokemon, called out Jynx. "All right, Jynx, let's freeze these Rockets!"

Jynx shook her head, refusing to take orders from the ninja girl, and only from the Elite Four trainer.

"Come on, Jynx! Lorelei's dead," insisted Koga. When Jynx heard that, she planted a kiss on Tabitha, causing him to loose consciousness.

"Oh, man... I'm feeling sleepy..." He passed out.

Jynx then curled her fists until they became encased in blocks of ice. The human-like Pokemon then socked the punches on Becky and Courtney, freezing them in blocks of ice.

---

As Lance and Karen reached the top of the tower, they noticed that it was completely empty. "Where are those Rockets?" asked Lance.

"They got away!" said a shocked Karen.

All the other allies murmured to each other in disbelief.

"What are we going to do?"

"They might succeed!"

"We can't let them!"

---

As Kamon, Duncan, Crystal, Ben, and Omri traveled through the basement, those two Team Rocket interim bosses showed up halfway through. "Oh, great! Not you guys again!" whined Kamon.

"Trying to escape!" questioned Sandy. "Well, we've decided – would you like to join us in our future work and be reunited with your father?"

"No way!" rejected Kamon. "I've decided to find my dad on my own!"

"We're going to shut you down once and for all," added Duncan.

"I really think you should reconsider what you're doing," Crystal told Conner and Sandy. "It's bad for the Pokemon." Spike shook in fear.

"I'm sure Spike can be put to use," said Sandy. "We can modify him to make him super-powerful."

Crystal quickly batted against that idea. "No! I won't let you change a Pokemon's natural ability!"

Kamon told them, "Pokemon aren't tools of war; they're living beings like us!"

"Well, if you refuse, we'll have to force you," said Conner. "Go, Muk, let's teach them respect!"

"Come on, Arbok, we'll convince them!"

Arbok and Muk moved toward Duncan, Crystal, and Kamon. "What are we going to do? We're not strong enough..."

Suddenly, a Charmeleon dashed into the basement, his lit tail flaring, illuminating the basement. "Come on, Blowtorch! Let's save our cousins!" That was Red!

Accompanied with Red were Green and Blue.

"Well, if it isn't our old enemies, the Color Triad," mumbled Conner.

"You're just more pests to get rid of," added Sandy.

"All right, guys, let's face the final showdown!" exclaimed Green. The battle was about to begin!

---

As the Color Triad started to fight Team Rocket, the others left the basement, and up to the ground floor. As they climbed through, they were surprised to see the many unconscious grunts sprawled around.

"What a mess," said Omri in disbelief. "The Elite Four must have come and stomped them!"

"Well, they did," said Duncan.

"One of them – Lorelei – got killed when we were trying to save you," said Kamon sadly.

"Oh..." Omri was sad to hear about Lorelei's death. "It's always a sad time when one of your allies dies."

They saw Lance pacing the floor in failure. "We've failed... Team Rocket has won."

"If you're looking for Team Rocket," Omri told Lance happily, "they're in the basement, fighting the Color Triad!"

"That's great to hear!" Lance's adrenaline began to rush through his body.


	19. Things Begin to Wind Down

Conner and Sandy stood proudly at Red, Green, and Blue. "It's been a year, but we're back!" exclaimed Conner.

"And this time, we're really going to kill you now," threatened Sandy. "Hit it, Klaus!"

Klaus Sontial, one of the four Rocket Brothers, unaware of Hans and Franz's resignation, turned on the cameras. "Ready, Horst?"

"We're all ready for shooting!" answered Horst. "Where's Hans and Franz?"

"They went AWOL," said Conner. "I think they quit. Fine then! We'll go without them. Let us announce our return!"

---

Lt. Surge asked, "Was my nephew with them?"

"What?" Duncan was confused. Lt. Surge had a relative with Team Rocket?

"You know, my nephew, Tabitha Ventosia."

"Yeah," answered Kamon. "He's a Team Rocket Elite."

Surge's smile then dropped to a frown. "I've been wondering where that mullet man went."

Ben then told him, "Well, he's snoozing in the basement with his girlfriend Courtney."

"Thanks a lot, old geezer! Well, I'm gonna go down and have a little talk with him." Surge headed downstairs.

---

Surge searched the dimly lit basement until he saw Conner and Sandy fighting the Color Triad. "Ha! Those Rockets are no match for powerful trainers!"

"Quick, Birdo, get out of the way!" exclaimed Green. Sandy's Murkrow zoomed toward Green's Pidgeotto, who flew out of the way. Birdo flapped his wings rapidly near a running wall fan to build up a gust. Once the gust was strong enough to blow away Murkrow, he released it. The gust blew Murkrow away, and onto a metal crate. The genetically-modified black bird, however, persisted to attack the all-natural brown-tan bird, as it rose up, flapping its wings in anger.

Birdo looked in worry; Pokemon that were genetically modified seemed more violent than naturally raised Pokemon. Murkrow didn't seem to show any signs of stopping until its enemy was killed. In fury, Murkrow emitted a flash of light. Everyone covered their eyes, except for Birdo, who needed his wings out to stay airborne, and his eyes opened to know where the dark bird was coming from. Birdo, blinded, crashed into the fan, which cut up some of his feathers. Green quickly recalled the bird to make sure no further damage was done.

Green then knew something was wrong. "Wait a second! Murkrow can't learn Flash!"

Conner then retorted, "Oh, yes, it can! Our scientists can modify a Pokemon to allow it to learn _any_ move we want! Remember?"

"Oh, yeah..." Blue was embarrassed. He forgot how Team Rocket had a habit of modifying Pokemon to make them super-powerful. "We remember. Genetic modification. It's not natural. I think we admit defeat!"

Sandy then rejected the idea. "Forget it. We're fighting here until one team loses."

"I don't think that's a good idea, dune-head!" Lt. Surge! "Show 'em, Raichu!"

"Heh heh, dune-head," snickered Conner. Sandy angrily pushed him.

---

A thunderstorm was beginning to brew up. Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning illuminated Omri's dark office, surprising Kamon. "Hey, Mr. Cinedima?"

"Why yes, Silver?"

"It looks like a severe thunderstorm's building up," said Kamon. Strange... the forecast news didn't say anything about thunderstorms.

"Something strange is going on..." wondered Crystal.

---

Three large dogs ran through the Johto valley in the rain. As rain fell down onto the electric dog, electricity began to build up until it came loose into the sky. Afterwards, a flash of light formed in the sky, along with a boom of thunder.

"Where are we going?" asked Entei.

Raikou then told him, "Something's calling us, and we're going to find out what!"

Suicune regretted coming along. "Raikou and I don't mix," he grumbled. "Where I'm present, it rains, and Raikou's electricity comes up at the sky. And that creates thunderstorms."

---

The storm was intensifying. Something was definitely wrong here. Team Rocket not only invaded the tower to call for Kamon's father, but it appeared something else was in mind! "There's something wrong!" Gusts rushed violently into an open window. "We'd better get out of here, quick!"

Omri, Axel, and Spike quickly rushed down the stairs; the strong winds pulled Duncan, Crystal, and Kamon out through windows that shattered as they came through.

"Hang on tight, Crystal!" urged Kamon. "Don't let go, Gold!"

---

Suddenly, the wind stopped, and the three fell ten stories to the ground, but a psychic bond slowed their fall. "What was that?" asked Duncan curiously. Three large dogs stood in front of them.

Suicune stared at Crystal, who uncontrollably came forward. Kamon came toward Entei, and Gold to Raikou.

"This was a human call..." said an upset Entei, looking at the demolished tower.

"Team Rocket, actually," said Kamon. "They're back."

An army of Team Rocket Grunts, along with Conner and Sandy, had exit the tower before its destruction, and were amazed to see Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. There was no sign of the Color Triad, the Elite Four, or the Gym Leaders anywhere. They had been killed trying to escape.

Conner then told Entei, "Come on, now, we want to be your masters!"

Sandy added, "Can you imagine how powerful we can make you?"

"Power does not equal good," retorted Entei. "Used oppressively, it may equal evil, which in turn leads to hate and suffering. We must decline your offer, as this can cause certain death of the Earth."

The three then emitted a strange sonar, which entered into Ilex Forest. The sleeping occupant of the shrine awoke, and flapped its wings to Goldenrod City.

"That's Celebi!" exclaimed Crystal. "The time-traveling Pokemon!" The green flying psychic poured a strange powder onto the crowd. A flash of white light illuminated the area. When it cleared, everything that happened in the Radio Tower, save for the three dogs finding it, repeated.

---

Kamon awoke, surprised by his dream. Pfft. Like that would ever happen, he thought. The others probably defeated Team Rocket by now; therefore, Team Rocket would cease to exist. But he still remembered seeing the legendary Pokemon, but he didn't bother telling anyone else - they wouldn't believe him. He looked around, and saw that the Radio Tower was in no danger of collapsing. He stared out at the window, checking if any storm was about to begin. The sky couldn't have been any clearer. Stars and the Moon were clearly visible. "Hey, Mr. Cinedima?"

"Why yes, Silver?"

"It's a wonderful night for a walk, and the police are on their way."

"Maybe we could go out, Silver..." said Crystal suavely. "We could continue our date at the beach where we left off." She kissed Kamon's cheek, who, in turn, looked at her warmly. Crystal had that same dream. But if it were no dream, then Celebi was such a big help to rewind the Radio Tower events!

"Sure. Let's go home, and resume our date tomorrow night. There's nothing left for us here now," admitted Kamon. "Bye, Mr. Cinedima!"

"Oh, yes, I've got something for you, as a memento for my rescue. Here you go." Omri handed Crystal a rainbow-colored metallic feather. "This is the Rainbow Wing. As long as Silver has his Silver Wing and you have your Rainbow Wing, you'll love each other forever."

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Cinedima!" Crystal knew for sure that she and Kamon would never separate.

---

"You... beat us again!" snapped Sandy. "You obviously never understand our true value!"

"Really?" asked Red. "Which is that?"

"Well, uh... I don't know," admitted Conner.

Lance then harshly told Sandy, "Your niece is dead, and you don't have Giovanni to save you now."

"Well, it looks like Team Rocket's finished again..." Conner knew it. "If Giovanni wanted us gone, then I guess that's really something we'll have to accept, then."

Sandy realized that what they had done killed Lorelei. "I can't believe it! My brother Ed's _really_ going to kill me now! We've tarnished the Drayan and Casabic family names!"

---

Blowtorch blew fire at the frozen Courtney and Becky, as Lt. Surge lectured his recently-awakened nephew. "Look, Tab," said Surge. "I got worried about you; you haven't come back home for six months! I've been looking for you!"  
"OK, I'm sorry, Uncle Surge, I just wanted to move out and live on my own! Team Rocket convinced me! And I've got Courtney here..."

"Oh, Tabby, we'll always be together!" Courtney, recently defrosted, but still cold and soaking wet, held Tabitha's hand.

"Could Courtney move in with us?"

"Sure thing! You'll make a great couple!" Surge was surprised that this undisciplined twenty-year-old young man with a mullet actually got the girl!

"We're going to have a nice time living together!" Courtney winked at Tabitha.

---

Professor Elm, Roger, and Lisa drove to the Radio Tower.

Lisa quickly ran towards the leaving Duncan, Crystal, and Kamon. "Oh! Duncan! Crystal! You're OK!"

"Mom!" Crystal and Duncan cried out in unison.

"I was worried about you," said the geeky-looking Roger.

"Hey, dad!" Duncan and Crystal were glad to see their parents after such a long time.

"We were just heading off to my house," said Kamon. "Crystal and I are going to the beach tomorrow night. Bye, Crystal."

"Bye, Silver."

Roger then noticed the Togepi in Crystal's arms. "Hey, that's a nice Togepi."

Professor Elm then remembered... Togepi! "Oh, yeah! Togepi!"

Crystal told them, "His name's Spike, and he likes us. He's my pet Togepi!"

---

"Well, Drayans, you violated your paroles," said Ben. "You tried to bring back Team Rocket, but it didn't work. Now you could spend the rest of your twenty years behind bars. And the Machoke that's killed Lorelei's going off to Pokemon Rehab."

Jasmine added firmly, "And you poisoned Amphy, which could have caused accidents at sea. You obviously misuse your Pokemon, and hurt other people's Pokemon as well!"

Bruno flashed a memory card at Conner and Sandy. "Nice move; you recorded your conversations and battle with the Color Triad. Now we know everything you did."

Becky then said in a breaking voice, "I guess it's good-bye to Mach. We've had a good time together..."

Lance then remarked, "I guess crime doesn't pay!"

"Well, remember, Team Rocket's finished forever, and we've accepted that now," declared Conner.

---

"I'm back, Uncle Norman!"

"Kamon! You're okay! I was worried about you!"

Kamon brushed it off. "Look, don't worry about me. Team Rocket's disbanded again, once and for all. I'm safe now!" It still didn't change the fact that his dad was still missing. The empty space he had before all this mayhem happened was still there. Maybe it would eventually happen; his father may be out there, waiting to be found.


	20. Epilogue

Kamon stirred out of bed, still tired from the events of last night. They still seemed fresh in his mind. At least he was now able to sleep silently through the nigh now. He never was able to before, not even before this ruckus ever happened. Team Rocket was at least gone for good, and he was now a free person.

Yes, that's it. Team Rocket was haunting him in his sleep the night before. He just didn't want to admit it. However, for the first time after so many years ago, he had good dreams of meeting Lugia and Ho-Oh.

Axel awoke, yawning; he was still tired, too. It was amazing to make friends with Spike. He never had any real Pokemon friends before. And on tonight's date, they could watch the ocean with Kamon and Crystal. For once, things were becoming good.

---

"Today, the two former Team Rocket subordinates Conner and Sandy Drayan are currently being held at Kanto County Jail. In addition, their daughter, Rebecca Tina Drayan, aged twenty-one, has been reprimanded for her Machoke killing Lorelei Casabic, a relative of the Drayans, and one of the Elite Four. Her funeral will be held at Lavender Mortuary next week. Furthermore, Drayan's partners, Tabitha Harlan Ventosia and Courtney Margi Ramalio, have been charged with conspiring to kidnap a teenager whom they claim is their former leader's son, and are likely to face probation rather than imprisonment."

The TV then showed footage of Conner and Sandy's battle with Red, Green, and Blue, along with their arrests.

"As of today, we'll cease and desist!" exclaimed Conner in the footage.

---

Goldenrod Beach was a nice, quiet resort from the city, especially at night. What could be seen of the sky was dark and clear, with stars glistening. The beach was far enough from the city to allow the stars to show.

"Do you think the Drayans are going to spend the rest of their twenty-year sentence behind bars?" asked Crystal.

"No question about it," replied Kamon. "With all the evidence against them, it's a guaranteed prison time."

"Silver, this was such an amazing adventure. I'm so happy that we're both alive."

"We've nailed our names into the pages of history for now."

Kamon and Crystal's faces became closer. This was where Team Rocket interrupted them, but now there was no one else around. Their mouths intertwined, and they embraced each other. Sparks flew into both minds as they broke the brace. And it was possible that they may be together for a long time. Crystal, with Kamon, wasn't scared at all anymore.

"Maybe some day, I'll find my father, and we can reconcile," suggested Kamon. "We never know. My mother always told me the future is never static."

"What about our Pokedex quest?"

"Let's take that responsiblity to the Color Triad."

Spike played with Axel's tail. The Persian looked at the spike ball warmly. He licked the Togepi, and nuzzled him.

Out in the open sea, the two legendary birds Ho-Oh and Lugia looked out at the young couple as they flew past.

Will Kamon ever find his father? Where _was_ he? Maybe he'll never really know.

---

THE END

_No Pokemon were harmed in the making of this fanfic._

_Any characters or events appearing in this fanfic are mostly fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons or animals, living or dead, is purely coincidental._


End file.
